


By Proxy

by LyricalKris



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 08:12:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3929464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalKris/pseuds/LyricalKris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a movie star is all glamour and privilege, right? Sure, if you call obsessive fans, prying paps, and the occasional threat of bodily harm glamorous, but Edward was used to all that. Bella worked behind the scenes until he accidentally brought her into the limelight and in the sights of someone dangerous. Mystery, action, and romance - welcome to Hollywood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another fic you can blame GinnyW for!**

**Fic updates: Trouble is two thirds done. The last third is being a recalcitrant asshole. Oblivious update will likely be done tomorrow, Thursday at latest. Long Distance is in the capable of hands of MyOnlyHeroin who writes Bella’s chapters. New Girl news! I was writing that fic with a partner who has defected to the Stucky fandom. I’m making it a goal to update that fic and finish it by the end of the month.**

**Okay. Enough of that. Onward to our new adventure.**

* * *

**~Prologue~**

The first time Edward met Bella, he pushed her down a flight of stairs.

He splayed his hand wide over the center of her chest, gritted his teeth, and shoved, making a great show of using all his strength. He pulled himself up straight, watching as she tumbled end over end down a grand, marble staircase and landed in a heap at the bottom. She was still. He was still.

“Cut! That was great. Let’s reset,” the director shouted.

The set came alive, and Edward hurried down the steps just as the petite brunette was pushing herself up into a sitting position. He knelt at her side. “Are you alright?”

She raised her head, and he was met by brown eyes that sparked with bemusement. “Yeah, man. I’m fine,” she said with a laugh.

He huffed and gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he said, offering her a hand to help her up. “I know you’re a professional. I’m just not used to it.”

The woman glanced down, and only then did Edward realize he was still holding her hand. He let her go and took a step back. She quirked an eyebrow. “Come on. You’ve been starring in action movies off and on since you were my age. You’re going to try to tell me you’ve never pushed a stunt double around?”

His lip twitched. “I was a little younger than you when I started, I think,” he said, looking her over. The pretty roundness of her face spoke of youth, but her body was toned and muscular. It was hard to tell. “But I’ve never been the asshole throwing girls around like rag dolls.”

“First time as a villain, huh?” She grinned. “It’s a little different. She’s not a girl in need of rescuing. She’s the badass, and she’s going to fuck you up royally later on.” Her smile grew wider. “What do you say I look forward to that part, and we’ll call it even?”

Oh, he liked this one. Suddenly, he found himself lamenting the fact the afternoon shots didn’t require close ups on his face. It was likely she was going to be working with his stunt double instead of with him. “That’s not how that works,” he reminded her. “Then it’ll be Alec instead of me.”

“Ah.” She waved a hand. “He clocked me in the face on the last set we were on. I owe him a good kick to the nuts anyway. I’ll enjoy it just as much.”

“Clear the set. Back to your your mark,” the director said.

Edward turned to start up the steps. “So what’s your name?” he asked as they found their positions again. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, twisting his fingers in the fabric, bringing her up menacingly close.

She shifted, balancing herself. “Bella Swan.”

“I’m Edward.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, stud. You’re a goddamned superstar. I know who you are.”

“Mark, and...action!”

* * *

**A/N: My thanks for my team. Eleanor, songster, MoH, and Packy 2.0. I love these girls.**

**This fic will begin updating in earnest as soon as Oblivious is done (which might be as soon as next update… we’ll see how that goes).**

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Figured that it was only fair I update this since I was SUPPOSED to mark Oblivious complete yesterday. Oye. Shorty chapter. They will get longer.

**~Three Months Before~**

 

Edward faced the entrance of the little cafe, so he saw when she entered. A smile pulled at his lips at the sight of her. Poor girl. She hadn’t figured out yet that the paparazzi was rarely fooled by a hoodie and sunglasses. She had that spooked look about her, like she was sure someone had to be following her.

 

More often than not, it was the truth for her. Six months ago, the girl had been a nobody. She’d garnered enough attention on the indie circuit that she had a lot of work under her belt. Most recently, she’d landed the leading role in a movie no one expected to do any kind of business. It had. The movie had made her a household name. Add to that, her face--rounded enough to give the impression of innocence, sexy enough to bewitch--and she’d skyrocketed to superstardom. It was no wonder she didn’t know which way was up.

 

She slid into the booth across from him and let out a gust of breath, as though relieved. Edward did his best not to hide his chuckle so she wouldn’t think he was laughing at her. He wasn’t. It was just that her plight was familiar to him. Too familiar. He spent so much of his life either being harassed or fearing harassment.

 

Finally, the girl gave him a sheepish smile. She pulled her hood down and took her sunglasses off. There they were. Big, brown bedroom eyes, soft brown hair that fell just right, and lips made for kissing. She had an image alright. “Hi,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Sorry about that.”

 

“Don’t apologize.” He extended his hand. “I’m Edward Cullen.”

 

She gave him the same look everyone did when he introduced himself. There weren’t many people who didn’t know who he was, at least, not in the United States. “Gianna Gale.”

 

“You don’t prefer Gigi?” Edward asked, and he had to admit he was amused when she narrowed her eyes.

 

“The press think they’re so clever,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I hate that nickname, and it’s out of control now. I’ll be called Gigi by the press the rest of my life, aren’t I?

 

“I think that’s a fairly safe guess.”

 

The waiter came by and took their order. When she was gone, Gianna looked to him. “So. You wanted to talk to me?”

 

Edward leaned on the table and nodded. “About the project.”

 

She grimaced. “I figured.”

 

“You dropped out. Would you mind if I ask why?”

 

He was somewhat surprised when a look of genuine fright came over her. She wrung her hands, looking off. “Okay. I’m going to tell you the truth, but you have to promise not to laugh at me.” She slapped a hand over her eyes. “Ugh. That’s naive, isn’t it? Aren’t I supposed to assume everyone is a Hollywood insider?”

 

Edward burst out laughing. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you; I promise. It was just such an honest response. Are you actually asking me if I talk to the gossip rags. On purpose?” He chuckled again, because the idea was ludicrous. “Honey, it’s definitely true what they say. You can’t trust anyone in Hollywood. People are always pretending to be someone they’re not,  but let’s think this through for a minute. I don’t need the money anonymous tipsters get, and I am who I am. Even if I tried to spread around some odd bit of gossip, the bigger scoop would be that I was up to something. God only knows the way those fuckers would spin that story.”

 

Gianna flushed and ducked her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She ran a restless hand through her hair. “I’m paranoid right now.”

 

“Tell me what’s going on,” he said, his voice gentle.

 

The waiter came back with their drinks, and Gianna cradled her coffee between her hands. Only when the woman walked away again did she speak. “When I got the part, I knew there would be a backlash. There always is, when it’s a series as popular as this one. I went through it a bit with Midnight Games, but the focus there was mostly for Garrett. That movie wasn’t supposed to get big. This one? Everyone wants a piece of this. Especially after you were cast as the big bad.”

 

“You got threats,” Edward said. It wasn’t a question.

 

She chuffed. “Oh, yeah, but again, I expected that. Everyone warned me it would happen.” She shifted the cup between her hands.

 

“One got under your skin,” Edward said, filling in the blanks when her silence got too long.

 

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. “There were six letters. I think they were all from the same person. And not threatening. They were creepy.” She looked out the window and nodded her head in the direction of outside. “All of them think they know something about us. They all try to get personal, but this person... This anonymous person made it feel personal.” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

 

“Did you report it?”

 

“No point. There were no threats. Not really.” Her brows furrowed as she looked back to him. “I’m probably being too sensitive, but I really got the feeling this person would take it very badly if we worked together.”

 

Edward jolted. “We? You mean it was about you working with me?”

 

“She. Him. Them… They were pretty clear on the fact I’m not good enough to work with you. And that it was possible bad things would happen if I did.” Her lips tugged down as she shuddered again. “I got the feeling they were talking about worse things than a box office bomb.”

 

Edward was quiet for a minute, processing this. There were many maddening things about being a celebrity. His fans thought they knew him, thought they understood what he felt, wanted, and needed. Being a movie star, his life wasn’t his own. It frustrated him the most when some aspect of his fame affected another person. Gianna might have been a celebrity in her own right, but she didn’t need to deal with the fervor of fans harassing her in his name on top of everything else.

 

“I have one question for you,” he said finally, leaning over the table toward her. “Threats aside, is this a part you want?”

 

“Of course. This is a part of a lifetime. A spy movie with a female lead?” Gianna shook her head. “And to work with you?”

 

Edward smiled, ducking his head at the compliment. “Then take the part. That’s what I’m here to convince you to do. Security on the set is going to be tight, and I’ll make you a personal guarantee. I have a bodyguard for times like these. Most of us do. He’s the best in the business. He and his people are very good at making you forget they’re protecting you, and it’s part of their job description to investigate potential threats. I’ll get him on the case.”

 

“That all seems like so much.” She looked at him, her expression dubious. “Don’t tell me the studio sent you to make this offer.”

 

“No. Not the studio.”

 

“You’re here on your own?” When he nodded her eyes went wide. “I don’t understand. Why would you be so invested in me taking the part?”

 

“Hmm.” Edward sat back, taking a sip of his latte as he considered his answer. “We all do this for different reasons, right? Act, I mean. I don’t try to call myself an artist, because to be honest with you, I’m not in it for the art. It’s not very often I give a rat’s ass about the depth of the character I play or the heart-felt message or the intriguing plot. I got into this line of business because I happen to be good at it, and I’d go crazy cooped up in an office for eight hours a day. But you don’t get as old as I am, do as many films as I’ve done, without some kind of pattern.”

 

He looked at her and grinned. “For me, it’s the people. I get it into my head that I want to work with someone, and I make it happen. And I want to work with you.”

 

Gianna laughed as though startled. “But… why me? I can’t imagine Midnight Games was your kind of movie.”

 

“Please,” he said with a snort. “The plot was absurd, but who am I to judge? Have you seen some of the projects I’ve done?” He shook his head. “You were fantastic though.”

 

She blushed and ducked her head.

 

“It’s true. And I’ve seen some of your indies.” He waved a hand, smiling at her. “All that aside, you’re interesting, and I’m bored.”

 

“You make me sound like a toy or something.”

 

“I’m just being honest. Something about you struck me, and I’d like to work with you.” His smile turned rueful. “Mind you, it’s not to say it always works out well.”

 

“Hah. Are you talking about Jessica Stanley?”

 

Edward rolled his eyes. “Now that was a miserable set. Everything you heard about that whole ordeal was true, by the way. I don’t deny any of it. Though you have to admit, wanting to throttle someone for two months straight isn’t boring.”

 

“I guess not.”

 

“So, let’s recap.” Edward began to tick off on his fingers. “It’s a secured set. I’ll personally see to your safety. I’ll make it very clear in the press that I’m thrilled to work with you, and I actively pursued you for the project. If you’re comfortable with that, that is. It would send a message to this person that they don’t speak for me. We can go through a publicist if you want.  And…” He smiled winningly. “As I’m positive your agent has told you, working with me is a great career move.” He winked at her again. “Plus, I can be a lot of fun on the set.”

 

“Fun, huh?” Gianna laughed and shook her head. “That’s not what I heard from Jessica Stanley.”

 

Edward snorted. “Well, even without that, it’s a compelling case for taking a part you want anyway, right?” He cocked his head. “You have a long, promising career ahead of you, Gale. Sometimes it’s going to be the fans who throw you curveballs. Don’t be afraid to hit this one out of the park anyway. After all, we all get a crazy one every now and then. We end up just fine.”

 

“So you’re saying I should just get used to things like this?” She shivered again.

 

“I’m saying they’re all bark.” He reached across the table and touched her hand briefly. “They can’t touch you. Not really. Take a leap of faith this once, and you’ll see.”

 

“You’re used to getting what you want, aren’t you?”

 

“Of course. Do you know who I am?”

 

Gianna huffed, but her amused smile fell. She sighed and spun her coffee cup around in her hands, thinking hard. After a long minute, she gulped and looked up at him with a tentative smile. “Okay. I’m in.”

 

“Excellent. In that case, I’ll pick up the bill.”

 

“Ah. See, that’s something the public doesn’t know about you. Edward Cullen - the height of generosity.”

  
“That’d make a good People headline. I see it on the cover.” Edward stroked his chin. “I’ll get my people on it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many thanks to MoH, Packy 2.0, Songster, Eleanor, and Femme Malheureuse for all their input and assistance. 
> 
> Have a good week, my friends. If I can get through the next five days, I’ll be on a plane to Alaska. WOO!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oye. I am so dizzy. Land sickness is a thing, y’all. *Crashes into the wall*

The second day of filming, Edward didn’t have to be on set at all. He went anyway. He had nothing else to do, and it was something of a novelty to be on a set with so much stunt work going on.

Action scenes and stunt work were hellishly brutal days when he was the one filming, but watching never got old. It was an acrobatic dance that took a kind of skill and strength he’d never have.

Time and again, Edward’s eyes lit on the stunt person he’d worked with the day before. It was hard not to be entranced by her. She was, after all, the center of attention, being the stunt person for Gianna, the star of the film. Sassy little thing she was and tough. Very tough.

It was strangely terrifying to watch. She was so small--short and petite. The people that surrounded her--his character’s henchmen--tossed her between them like a rag doll. They were on the same marble staircase set that he’d thrown her down repeatedly the day before. Today, she was locked in a struggle with three baddies. He watched as she kicked off the broad chest of one, toppled over the banister, and clung for dear life off the side of the stairs.

Edward’s heart leapt into his throat when he saw Bella’s grip slip on the third take. She let out a yelp, arms flailing, and fell. He knew there was nothing to be afraid of, and yet his body jerked forward. What he thought he was going to do from where he was, he didn’t know. She landed on the large, blue stunt mattress made specifically for catching stunt persons and not on the hard, unforgiving floor.

She huffed, stunned only momentarily before her expression changed to one of annoyance. The director called the cut and one of Bella’s fellows went to offer her a hand to get up. From where he was standing--well out of the way--Edward couldn’t hear what they said. The man clapped Bella on the back, still holding her by the hand he’d used to pull her up. She looked to him and nodded in apparent assurance that she was fine. The man nodded back and took a step away from her, dropping her hand. Edward let out a breath, relieved.

This went on for the rest of the morning. They did four main shots--two requiring Gianna and two Bella. By lunchtime, Edward’s body ached in sympathy. His eyes still followed Bella, watching as she rolled her shoulders, wincing when she thought no one was watching. Edward was somewhat surprised when she headed in his direction, but he saw she wasn’t looking at him.

He pushed himself up from where he’d been sitting to greet her anyway. “Hey, you look like a woman who could use a stiff drink.”

She looked up, startled, but grinned at him. “Well, hey there, stud. Shouldn’t you be in your trailer luxuriating while we make you look athletic?” Bella winked to let him know she was kidding.

“Alec isn’t here, dollface. You’re not making me look like anything at the moment,” he said, teasing her back. “And I’m plenty athletic.”

“Sure you are.” She put her hands on her hips, amused. “Oh, I know. It’s not your fault we have to do all the hard work for you. After all, your pretty face is valuable. Mine isn’t. Neither is Alec’s. Do you know he’s broken his nose four times?”

Edward struggled not to grimace. “I think your face is plenty valuable and very pretty, even if it isn’t insured.” He studied her a moment. “You’ve never broken your nose.”

“No. My leg once.” She flexed her fist. “And a few fingers.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two. Why?”

“At the risk of sounding too much like your mother, you’re going to have an eighty-year-old’s body by the time you’re forty.” He said it in a light tone, but there was genuine concern in the words. Why he cared, he wasn’t sure. He never had before. Not only that, but in his line of work, he’d seen people do much worse to their bodies.

Bella gave him a look and laughed somewhat sardonically. "My mother doesn't think that far ahead.  She'd tell me it's worth the adventure while I'm young. 'Youth is wasted on the young' she always says." She shook her head, smiling fondly. "She's only forty-three."

"I see." Actually, he didn't. Something about this girl had struck his curiosity. He wanted to know more about the kind of mother who was fine with her daughter getting beat up for the sake of adventure. Not that Edward necessarily disagreed. Life was meant to be lived, but he was curious nonetheless. "So about that drink."

She leaned against the wall, considering him as she popped her neck."Oh man, you’re quick." Tilting her head, she propped a hand on her hip. "I don't want to waste your time so I'm going to lay it out flat for you. I'm not going to say a lunchtime drink doesn't sound fantastic after the morning I've had, and I'm not going to say I'm not curious."

"But?" he asked, amused in spite of the inevitable rejection poised on the tip of her tongue.

“I trained for this job, and I’m not talking the litany of martial arts, ballet, and gymnastics classes either. I made sure I was impervious to charm from the likes of you. Being upfront? You have zero chance with me, stud. You might as well save your breath.”

“‘The likes of me.’” Edward crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m sorry,” she said with a grimace. “This blunt thing works for me. You’re okay, right? I’m really not trying to be insulting or anything like that. I just don’t see the point of not being up front.”

Edward had to laugh. “This is easily the most intriguing rejection I’ve ever been through. Continue please. Even if my feelings were hurt, and they aren’t, I’m much more interested in hearing about the likes of me and how you studied to be immune to my brethren's considerable charms. What are we talking about? Men in general? People with green eyes?”

“Actors, of course.”

“Oh, of course.”

She sighed and sat down in the chair he’d vacated. “Look, I’ve heard it all before. You’re only a man, blah, blah, blah, but you’re also this thing.” She made an all-encompassing gesture. “This larger than life thing that maybe, sorta, kinda resembles a real life, but man.” She whistled. “I grew up with that. I told you my mother said to live for the adventure? Well, I suppose that’s one word for what life around one of you is like.”

“Actors,” he said, clarifying.

Her smile was apologetic as she looked at him. “It’s not your fault. Not really. Your reality is just different. Like a monarch back in the day, you know? How can you not be affected by that? And then there’s the fact that nothing I have with you is ever going to be just ours. Not even if we became friends. Not at your level of super stardom.”

Her look turned sympathetic. “A good portion of the world has an opinion about you. I know it’s a smaller faction, but your superfans know something about everyone around you. They know your parents. They know your father is a doctor, and your mother restores old houses. They know your sister is married to your bodyguard. They know all of your friends, what they do for a living, and have opinions about which of them are using you for your fame. Hell, Edward, you did that underwear commercial, and they knew the name of the model you were paired with. That poor girl. For a little while, people were all up in her business, wondering if you were maybe a little more than friendly. Being with you even for a lunch date means being background checked, stalked, and being the center of blind items and speculation from the tabs.”

“Damn,” Edward said. He tried to smile, but it came out more forced than he wanted it to. “It’s a surprise I can ever get a date.”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” she said.

“You aren’t, but you already know that. Just somehow it sounds more terrible when you say it.” He ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth, thinking. “It does happen, but it’s fleeting for them.” His lip twitched. “And a lot of them enjoy the attention.”

“Oh, I know. Like I said, my mother enjoyed--enjoys--the adventure of chasing something larger than life.”

“But you’re not like her.”

“No. I’m on Tumblr, you know? In a post of actors standing next to their body doubles. That’s much more attention than I want.”

“I see.” Edward rubbed a hand over his chin and grinned more genuinely at her when he looked up. “Well, that’s that, then.” He stuck out his hand, and had to bite back a laugh at the wary look on her face. She took his hand as though expecting a catch. He shook it firmly. “Bella Swan, it has been a genuine pleasure to be shot down by you.”

She raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at her lips. “What, that’s it? You’re not going to try to convince me I should give you a chance? That you’re not like the other actors?”

“No, see, I know I often play characters who don’t take no for an answer, but in real life, I think that’s rude and even slightly psychotic. I choose to respect your firmly stated no.” He sat in the seat next to her, propping his hands behind his head. “But you never know. This could be a tactic. I might not be a decent human being at all. Maybe I’m only playing the gentleman so you’ll reconsider and when you do, I’ll turn into the pushy bad boy.”

He waggled his eyebrows menacingly as she snorted. “I told you,” she said. “I know every trick in the book.”

“Impervious. I remember.” He cocked his head, looking at her. “How does one go about training themselves for that kind of thing anyway?”

She smirked. “One dates three of the biggest actors she can get her hands on as soon as she’s legal.” She rolled her eyes and rubbed a hand over her face. “I did it on purpose. Brightest stars and biggest assholes, let me tell you.”

“Who?” he asked, curious.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“Scout’s honor.”

She chuffed. “James Hunter when I was eighteen. Felix Betalucci when I was nineteen, and, uh…” Her cheeks brightened. “Victoria Reynard at twenty.”

Edward’s eyebrows shot up. “Victoria Reynard who is currently engaged to James Hunter?” That was the least surprising. Felix was his age, and he was huge. It unnerved Edward to think of Bella, small as she was, anywhere near Felix.

“Oh, those two deserve each other, let me tell you. They’re the biggest pricks,” Bella said of James and Victoria.

“I’ve worked with all three of them, as it happens. You’re right. Very big stars and even bigger assholes.”

“Gaping.”

“And you dated each of them on purpose? Some kind of aversion therapy? Date the three biggest asshole actors you could find, and it would turn you off on all actors?”

“Something like that, yeah.” She shrugged, her look sheepish. “Hey, I was young. It made sense to me at the time.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re still young.” He chuckled. “But why do it at all? If being with an actor isn’t something you want, why did you need the aversion therapy? Why not just say no”

She sighed, the sound somewhat wistful. “Because actors are dazzling. Larger than life, remember? And I have to work with them all the time.The super stars especially have this surreal charisma, and it’s hard to see around.”

“Dazzling.” He looked up, pinning her eyes with his. “Do I dazzle you?”

He thought he heard her breath stutter. Her cheeks definitely got pinker. “Yeah, stud,” she said, her voice the slightest bit shaky. “But don’t get too cocky about it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He shrugged and leaned back, hands at the back of his head. “But consider it a standing offer redeemable at any time.”

~0~

Three days later, a script revision required a reshoot of the first scene Edward and Bella had done together. They found themselves once again at the top of the staircase.

This time, Edward was a little more used to the fact he was playing the villain. Anyway, since he knew Bella slightly better now, there was a different air between them.

Edward was, of course, a professional. While he didn’t take his job as seriously as some actors did, he was serious enough to remain in character while the camera was rolling. Still, there was some bleed, especially in scenes like this that required more action and less acting.

He grabbed the front of Bella’s shirt, twisting his fingers in the fabric and yanking her forward, into the starting position. When the director didn’t call action right away, he found himself staring into her eyes. They were brown. A very pretty brown.

Why it struck him in that moment to tease her, Edward didn’t know. They were standing so close together, her body pulled up against his. He let the menacing glare relax into something much softer. He tilted his head down. Their lips were close. Close enough that he could feel the heat of her breath on them. They were so close he felt the tickle of a phantom touch on his skin. Her breath caught.

“Mark.”

Bella jumped ever so slightly as the clap of the marker board came down.

“Action.”

Edward put his hand to the center of Bella’s chest and pushed hard. Her eyes went wide, and in that instant, he could see something was wrong. She hadn’t been ready or at least she’d been off balance. Her hands came up. She grabbed onto the banister with one and clamped her other hand hard on his arm, trying to keep herself steady.

It worked. However, her grip had pulled Edward off balance. He heard his own startled cry before he hit the stairs and rolled.

He had one single thought as he bumped and bounced down the stairs. Bella made this look graceful. Graceful was the last thing he was as he landed in an undignified heap at the bottom of the stairs. Stunned, he couldn’t move, breathe, or make sense of the cacophony that arose around him.

It was faux marble. That might have saved his skull from cracking open, but it was a very near thing. Edward had to work hard to shake the daze off as he tried to concentrate on the voices around him.

“Move back. Let me look at him.”

Edward blinked several times as the medic on set--ready in case a stunt went wrong--dropped to her knees at his side. “I’m fine,” he said.

“Just lay back, Mr. Cullen,” she said, forcing him back down with a hand to his chest. “Let me take a look at you.”

Knowing better than to argue, he let the doctor have her way. It was probably for the best. Pain was beginning to make itself known from several parts of his body.

Some time later, he’d been diagnosed with a sprained ankle, a minor concussion, a random scattering of bruises, and wounded pride. Filming would be affected, and that would make it to the tabs. People would have questions and opinions.

He was resting in his trailer while he waited for the inevitable visits to follow. Insurance people. Someone from the studio for sure. His publicist. His agent. The thought of it was giving him an even bigger headache, and that was saying something.

A soft knock came, and Edward sighed. He considered sending them away, but he wanted to get this over with. “Come in.”

It was none of the people he was expecting. Instead, a very contrite looking Bella stepped into his trailer and shut the door behind her. She pressed her lips together, looking at him and his wrapped ankle while her face turned an interesting color of puce.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted, sounding nothing like the sassy, self-possessed person she usually was. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking grabbing you like that. That’s kind of the first rule of being a stunt person: Don’t injure the talent. That’s the whole point of us being there. If there--”

“Whoa.” He held up a hand and pressed the other to his temple. “Don’t talk so fast. My brain can’t keep up.”

“Oh, man. I’m sorry. Really, I--”

“Bella.” He sighed and made an attempt to smile at her. “It was an accident. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” He put an arm over his eyes. The light was getting to him.

“Is there anything I can do? Bring you? Anything at all? I know you have people for that, but I can do something. I...I...I can say yes.”

Startled, Edward lifted his arm to look at her. “Say yes?” He huffed, his lips twitching up in amusement. “Do you mean say yes to my asking you out to lunch?”

“Oh, man. Oh, man. That was stupid. I didn’t mean that. I mean, I meant that. I would do it, but I didn’t... I mean, why would you want to do that now?”

He laughed. He couldn’t help it. “A pity date to make me feel better?”

“I really didn’t mean to say it.”

“Oh god.” He threw his arm over his eyes again. His head was pounding, but it was too funny not to laugh. He kept chortling despite the pain. “Well, you’re right. The least you could do after grievously wounding me is let me treat you to the drink I can’t have for a few more days.” He snorted again, far too amused.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Yes.” He lifted his arm from his eyes again. “However, you already offered. You can’t take it back now, especially since you threw me down a flight of stairs.”

She pursed her lips, some of the unhappiness fading from her expression. “Are you guilting me?”

“If it works? Sure.”

“Well, well, well. Your true colors emerge.”

“I guess I’m the pushy bad boy who won’t take no for an answer after all.”

“You did tell me it was one of your devious tricks.”

“Yes. This was all part of my plot.” He gestured to his bandaged leg.

“How sinister.”

“I’m really getting into my role as the villain.” He winked at her. “So, since I appear to have a few days off...dinner? Tomorrow when I’m more conscious?”

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Fine. But only because I wounded you.”

 **  
**“You are, as ever, very generous, Miss Swan. The pleasure of buying you a drink is well worth the grievous injury.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many many thanks to Femme Malheureyse, Songster, Packy 2.0 and barburella for their insight and help. 
> 
> Hey, guys. I have a question. If I started a Facebook group, would anyone come? O.o


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Morning! Did you see the lovely banner Mina made me? I love it so much.

“Do you ever feel like you’re thirteen years old, being driven to your dates?” Emmett asked.

 

Edward snorted, looking over at his bodyguard and brother-in-law. “Have you seen my school photos from when I was thirteen? No one wanted to date that.”

 

“Rosalie told me she sees you all the time on those stupid lists. ‘Celebrities Who Kicked Puberty’s Ass,’ or whatever.”

 

“I wouldn’t put it past Rosalie to leak those to the press. That’s one of the hidden downsides of being a celebrity, you know. Siblings are going to get nasty. That’s what siblings do, but when you’re famous, the way they get nasty is they become an anonymous source for one of the tabs.” Edward grimaced. “She probably got paid to betray me.”

 

“You know Rosalie wouldn’t do that right?”

 

“Ha. I know you’re married to her now, but I’ve still known her longer than you. And she’s not here. You don’t need to blow sunshine up her ass. I won’t tell.” Edward rubbed at his head.

 

“Still feeling out of it?” Emmett asked.

 

“I’ll be okay.”

 

“That’s not what I asked.”

 

“Sure, I’m a little woozy. That’s why you’re driving.”

 

“Settle down, diva.”

 

Edward chuckled. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the headrest. “So how’s Jasper doing with Gianna?”

 

“The job’s easy. I mean, she doesn’t give him much trouble.” He clucked his tongue, his expression tight. “Poor girl is in over her head, isn’t she? Then again, those letters would unnerve me. They do unnerve me.” He waved a hand. “Anyway. Jasper isn’t taking any chances with her.”

 

“I know what that means,” Edward said, and he grimaced. “You know, you’re going to push her deeper into a state of paranoia if you make every outing a production. You’re going to turn her into a hermit.”

 

“Better safe than sorry.”

 

“Grudgingly agreed.” Edward crossed his arms over his chest. They were almost to the restaurant. It was habit to scan the road and sidewalk for paps. “I convinced her to take this job. It sucks she’s having to jump through hoops. This isn’t what she wanted.”

 

“It’s not what any of you want,” Emmett said.

 

Staring out the window, it took Edward a minute to realize Emmett had stopped talking. That was unusual. He looked over to find his brother-in-law’s brow furrowed in concentration. “What is it?”

 

“Nothing really. It’s just that I think we might have missed something obvious.”

 

“Such as?”

 

Emmett glanced at him. “This asshat sending letters to Gianna… All the letters mention you. Her, or his, obsession is about you, not her.” He rubbed a hand across his chin before returning it to the wheel. “I’m thinking we might be watching the wrong person.”

 

Edward groaned. “Oh no. Don’t start with that. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I don’t need a babysitter.”

 

“I’m going to start a risk assessment.”

 

“Fuck.” Edward banged his head back against the headrest.

 

“Stop crying about it.” He punched his fist lightly against the steering wheel. “Man. We’re already behind. If we did miss something in the fanmail, we’re going to have to check for consistencies in the writing. You haven’t gotten anything that might have come off as a little threatening?”

 

“I get threatening letters all the time. You know that.”

 

“I mean like Gianna is getting--just a little too personal.”

 

Edward hesitated a second too long before he answered, and Emmett made a disgruntled noise. “You’re supposed to tell me when anything, any little thing, is the slightest bit off. Work with me here, Edward. If you die on my watch, no one is going to hire me again.”

 

“Will you give me a break? I’m not the President. No one is going to murder me; I’m not that important.”

 

“You remember that fan who tried to kill President Reagan to impress Jodie Foster?”

 

“Obama has people for that, Emmett. They’ve got it covered.”

 

“Yeah, but if I stopped something like that, Obama might hire me. Then I wouldn’t be stuck driving your dumb ass around when I could be giving it to your sister.”

 

Edward threw his hands up. “Whoa. Hey. These are images I don’t need in my head, thanks.”

 

Emmett snickered. “Presidential assassination aside, that’s the real reason I can’t let you die. People who are snot-sobbing over their dead brother aren’t usually in the mood for sex.”

 

“Everyone knows funeral sex is the hottest after make-up sex.”

 

“I’d prefer not to test that theory. Now tell me about the letters.”

 

“After my date.” Edward reached for the door handle, ready to get out.

 

Emmett locked the doors and stared. “I could kick your ass on a good day, and you’re crippled today. Answer me.”

 

“They’re not disturbing. Not in the same way as the ones Gianna gets. They talk about her though, and now that I think about it, with the one Gianna showed me, it sounds like part of the same conversation.”

 

“And you didn’t think this was important?”

 

Edward shrugged. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard. You know how many of them think they know me. A lot of them talk like we’re best friends. Those letters did stick out though. They’re in my nightstand.”

 

“I’ll swing by and get them while you eat,” Emmett said. He unlocked the door. “You need an escort?”

 

Edward got out of the car carefully, hopping a bit to keep weight off his injured foot. “I think I’ll manage.”

 

“Uh huh. Well, I’m not paid to keep you safe from yourself, so have fun. Don’t stay out too late.”

 

Glad Emmett wasn’t going to insist on coming with him, Edward got his crutches out of the back of the car before he could change his mind. He waved and headed toward the back door of the restaurant where the manager was waiting.

 

“So nice to see you again, Edward,” he said, shaking his hand.

 

“Thank you. Is my friend here?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Edward grimaced. He’d hoped to get there before Bella so as to not look like such a gimp, but whatever. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen him much worse off the day before. Mustering what dignity he could, he followed the manager to his usual table.

 

It was an Indian restaurant. The lighting was dim, which was a plus as far as Edward was concerned. It was one thing to evade the paps getting somewhere. What usually happened was some excited patron got on the social media horn. Edward glanced around and grimaced at how many phones he saw out. No one was looking his way yet, but the crutches were attention grabbers to say the least.

 

His attention shifted as soon as he was seated across from Bella. It looked as though she had stepped right off a movie set. Her hair was styled for her role as the main character--her long brown hair done wild and windblown. It was sexy except that she also seemed bone tired. Her smile was genuine as he sat.

 

“You haven’t had a good day,” he said, not asking.

 

“It was fine.” She made an effort to sit up straighter. “They told me to be on set at four this morning.”

 

Edward balked. “That’s heinous. What for?”

 

“Well, I can’t really blame them because this was technically my fault.” She gestured at his leg. “They had to shuffle the shooting schedule, so we--Alec and I--had to do a stunt we weren’t supposed to do for another week and a half. We needed the practice.”

 

“That doesn’t sound safe.”

 

Bella waved a hand, but then she winced. Seeing the look on his face, she rolled her eyes and shrugged out of her light jacket. Underneath, she wore a sleeveless shirt that showed off her arms. More specifically, it showed off the horrendous bruise up close to her shoulder. “Took us a bit to get it right, but we were fine. I got a bruise on my ass about the same size. If you were looking for any comeuppance for what I did to you yesterday, I’d say you got it. ”

 

Edward hissed in sympathy. “And you just came from the set too, didn’t you?”

 

She touched her hair, her smile sardonic. “However could you tell? Yeah, I just changed and wiped all the blood off.”

 

It was just past eight. “Bella, I would have understood if you canceled on me. After a day like that, you must be exhausted.”

 

“This is nothing. I’ve had worse. Besides, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day, and I haven’t had Indian food in months.” She flashed him a grin. “My body isn’t as valuable as yours. I’m used to working while wounded.”

 

Edward tsked at her. “First, you throw me down the stairs, and then you call me a wuss. I don’t know about you, Bella. You’re abusive is what you are.”

 

“Stating facts, Mr. Cullen, doesn’t make me an asshole.”

 

“Mmhmm.”

 

The waiter came. Seeing the hungry look in Bella’s eyes, Edward left it to her to order for both of them. He was amused when she ordered half the menu.

 

“My eyes are bigger than my stomach,” she said, looking somewhat sheepish.

 

“You know, the craft service is excellent on this production. They’re really good at keeping the table stocked.”

 

“I wasn’t too hungry when we broke for lunch. Other than that, it was a really grueling day.” She tilted her head, looking at him. “I’m in the doghouse, you know.” The skin around her eyes tightened. “I could have killed you.”

 

“The marble floor wasn’t made of marble.”

 

“You could have broken your neck.”

 

“It was an accident. Technically speaking, I could break my neck at any given moment, tripping over my own two feet.”

 

She glanced at him from under her eyelashes. “You really aren’t angry?”

 

“I’m letting you take me out on this pity date, aren’t I? Would I do this if I was angry?”

 

“It’s not a pity date.”

 

“What are the odds of me getting a good night kiss?”

 

“Negative forty-three.”

 

“See? Pity date.”

 

She made an exasperated noise. “It’s not a pity date.”

 

“Okay. Then you’ll let me pay for dinner.”

 

At that she narrowed her eyes. “What does paying for dinner prove?”

 

“Nothing. I just feel bad now that I asked your boss to fire you.”

 

Bella snickered. “Oh, stud. While I have no doubt you have the power to get me fired, the order would have had to come from someone much higher up than my boss.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“Considering my boss is my father, yeah, I’m pretty sure of that fact.” She bit off a corner of naan, staring at him serenely as she chewed.

 

“See, you have me at a disadvantage. It occurred to me last night you had that whole spiel about what the crazy fans know about me, but that means that you know it too.” He leaned his elbows on the table and propped his chin on his hands. “I don’t know, Bella. It almost sounds like you’re a super-fan.”

 

“Oh, yeah. I’m vice-president of your fan club,” she said, her voice wry though he could see her cheeks burning even in the dim light. “Or maybe, when you have a job like mine, it becomes part of your routine to look up pertinent interviews and embarrassing Internet memes.”

 

Edward grimaced. “That means you’ve seen the one…”

 

“With the face? Oh yeah, stud. Very sexy.”

 

“Like I was saying, you have me at a disadvantage. You know so much about me, and I know next to nothing about you except that you like to throw men down stairs.”

 

“You’re a terrible person.”

 

“Yes. Yes,” Edward said, waving a hand as though to dismiss this as unimportant. “Your father is Charlie Swan then? I should have put two and two together. He’s doing excellent work.”

 

“To be honest, I’m surprised you know his name.”

 

“One of the reasons I always jump at the chance to do action movies is the stunts. It’s tedious work, but since I only get to do the most basic stuff, I like watching you all work. I was bullied into taking it easy today. That’s the only reason I wasn’t there to watch you and Alec work.”

 

Edward took a bite of naan and chewed, thinking a moment. “So you said your mother enjoyed chasing something larger than life. She was taken in by the glamour of your father’s job, I take it?”

 

“Ah, yeah. My job is so glamorous.”

 

“Well, you have to admit what you do is impressive,” he said, looking into her eyes.

 

She ducked her head with just a hint of shyness. “I, um… Yeah. She saw him do an insane stunt involving a truck and fire. She was--”

 

“Dazzled?” Edward grinned at her. “I can’t say I blame her.” He hesitated a moment before he asked the next question. “Is that why you’re jaded about dating?”

 

Her head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed. “Why is it when someone, particularly a woman, isn’t desperate to date, they’re jaded? I’m not jaded. Love and dating--that all sounds like fun, sure. I’ll even admit to enjoying a nice romantic comedy, but it’s not the only thing out there.” She shrugged and winced. “It’s just not at the top of my list of desires. I have other shit to do, my friend. I have a demanding job and a lust for travel.”

 

“No time for love, Dr. Jones.” Edward offered her an apologetic smile. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

 

“You didn’t, really. It just gets old in general. My friends who aren’t in the business don’t understand why I’m not jumping every actor I can get my hands on. And of course, no one understands why I don’t date.”

 

“I can relate to that. I’m not very serious about dating. I think it would be nice to have a family; someone to come home too, but it’s not a necessity. I don’t feel less without it. If I’m intrigued by someone, I find a way to spend more time with them.” He looked up at her. “I hope that’s not insulting to say.”

 

“Hey, man. There are a lot worse things than being considered intriguing.”

 

The rest of dinner went smoothly. It turned into dessert and the offer of drinks, because Edward wasn’t done talking to her yet.

 

Bella sighed. “I would. I really would, but tomorrow is going to be another long day of getting my ass kicked. I have another four a.m. call time.”

 

“So your father is the one punishing you for trying to kill me?”

 

She smirked. “No. The director is the one who decided those particular stunts were the easiest to shoot without having you around. My dad is just trying to make sure I don’t get hurt.” She rolled her sore shoulder. “You know--worse than expected.”

 

“Right.” Edward got to his feet. “Shall we?”

 

“The bill hasn’t come, and I hardly think you’re going to dine and dash on those,” she said, indicating his crutches.

 

“I already took care of the bill.”

 

It was worth the look of startlement on her face. “What? When?”

 

“I’m a very sneaky person.” He bobbed his head in an ‘okay, okay’ gesture. “They know me here. I have a running tab.”

 

“Sneaky, Cullen. May be part of your ploy. If I owe you dinner, I’ll have to agree to another date.”

 

He chuckled and reached out to touch her shoulder. “It’s not a contest, Swan. This has been one of the most intriguing nights I’ve had recently. I hope it hasn’t been too much of a chore for you.”

 

“Oh, well. You know, I’ve done many more unpleasant things in my life.” Her eyes sparkled with mirth.

 

“Glad to hear it. Where are you parked?”

 

“Ah, I’m not. I got a ride here because that was the only way I was going to have time to wipe off all that bloody makeup.” She reached for her purse, shouldering it. “I’ll get a cab.”

 

“My brother-in-law is picking me up. It’d be no problem to drop you off, if you’d like.”

 

Bella hesitated a moment, and Edward had to smile. “If you’re worried I can’t keep my hands to myself, you know Emmett is also a bodyguard. He’ll protect you.”

 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “I can kick your ass myself if you get handsy. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. That’s all.”

 

“You’ve been very clear about what you want and don’t want.”

 

“Yes, but you know as well as I do, for some guys clear isn’t enough.”

 

“Very true, but I’m not one of those guys.”

 

Her smile then was gentle. “I believe that. Okay, if it’s really okay with you and Emmett, I’d love a ride.”

 

“He’ll be fine with it. You need to be properly vetted, anyway.” He winked to let her know he was kidding.

 

“My, my, my. Aren’t we full of self-importance today?”

 

They made their way out the back entrance, Edward stopping to tell the manager everything had been delicious as per usual. As they stepped outside, Edward tripped and would have fallen except that Bella grabbed him by the arm, keeping him steady.

 

“It’s not as easy as it looks to walk on crutches,” he said, glaring at the offending devices.

 

“I’m aware.” She looked at him as though considering her next words. “I can carry you, if you want.”

 

He quirked an eyebrow. “Sure you can.”

 

“You want to test me, old man?”

 

“Ow. For such a small thing, you have some sharp spikes, don’t you? I’m only thirty-four.”

 

She grinned at him. “I know, but you’re always saying things like ‘at your age’ when you talk to me. It makes you sound ancient. Which makes me wonder.”

 

“What do you wonder?”

 

“Why you hit on me in the first place. Is it the Hollywood thing? You know, the leading lady is fifteen years younger than the leading man.”

 

“Twelve. I’m twelve years older than you.” He had to laugh. “And no. Since you know all about me, you probably already know that the women I’ve dated with any degree of seriousness were my age if not older.”

 

“Mhmm, and the ones that fall into the not serious category?” Bella waved her hand. “Never mind. Back to the original point--I can carry you easily.

 

He looked at her, his eyes sweeping over her petite frame. She quirked an eyebrow, and without further comment, knocked him right off his crutches, up into her arms.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Edward scrambled, his arms around her neck. It was awkward--he didn’t fit in her arms like she would have in his--but she wasn’t struggling all that much to lift him either. She laughed, the sound somewhat breathless, and carried him several steps before she set him down.

 

Which, of course, was right when Emmett pulled up.

 

“There’s no way you didn’t see that, right?” As though Edward had to ask. Emmett was staring at him out the window with a grin like the cat that ate the canary.

 

Instead of answering him, Emmett looked to Bella. “Hello, Bella-girl. Thank you for that. Really.”

 

“Nice to meet you,” Bella said as she climbed into the back of the car.

 

“Bella’s place, Emmett.” Edward said after introductions had been made and hands shook. “It’s in Los Feliz.”

 

Emmett looked over at Edward and waggled his eyebrows. “Am I dropping you off?”

 

“Bella. We’re dropping Bella off.”

 

“I see.”

 

Edward had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Tonight had given Emmett way too much ammunition.

  
Then again, Edward reflected as he listened to Bella aim some of her snark at Emmett, it was well worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love Femme Malheurese, songster, barburella, MoH, and Packy 2.0. Love these girls. 
> 
> How are we doing folks? By the by, I did start that group. You can find me under LyricalKris :).


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shorty chapter is short.

The day Edward was supposed to return to the set, two days after his pity-date with Bella, his phone rang at approximately too-early in the morning. Groaning, Edward rolled over onto his back, slapping his hand down on his nightstand to find his phone.

“Hello?” He threw an arm over his eyes.

“Good morning, sunshine. This is your courtesy call to let you know that if Gigi spent the night, you and she might want to consider an extraction plan before you leave the house.”

Edward blinked, checking to make sure he really was awake before he responded to his publicist. “Benjamin, what the fuck are you talking about? Why the hell would Gianna be here?”

“Ah. Innocent was it?”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t even seen Gianna in three days.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, then a sigh. “Got your computer up?”

Edward sat up with a groan and dragged his laptop toward him, hitting the button to put Benjamin on speakerphone. He yawned again. “Okay.”

Almost as soon as he said the word an e-mail notification popped up. “Oh, fuck me,” Edward muttered under his breath as the front page of one of the larger tabloids popped up.

Has Gigi Swept Perpetual Bachelor Edward Cullen Off His Feet? the headline screamed. Underneath was a picture of Edward, his cheek pressed against Bella’s, his arms around her neck. Her head was turned, and her face was mostly obscured by his arm.

Edward grudgingly admired the message behind the words. The pap who’d snagged the picture had to have seen Bella pick him up. The asshole pap was teasing him.

“You’re lucky I have friends at the tabs. They gave me a heads up, but that means their photog buddies have the same warning. The story goes live online in the early afternoon, but I’d expect increased pap presence from this morning. I’m sure they’re trying to catch Gianna coming out of your place or you out of hers.”

“Well, they’re going to be disappointed.”

Benjamin hummed. “So how accurate is this?”

Edward yawned and scratched at his chest as he looked over the front page photograph. He had to hand it to the paps sometimes. The right headline with the right photograph caught at the right angle, and they’d made up a part of his life that didn’t exist. “It’s true,” he said, falling backward on the bed. “Partially.”

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. “Which part?”

“I really was swept off my feet. Literally. That is a picture of a woman carrying me, which is why my head is pressed against hers like that.” With his smile of breathless surprise, he merely looked like a man happy to have his arms around a woman. “She surprised me. She picked me up.”

Benjamin’s eyebrows shot skyward at that. “Gigi picked you up? Tiny, baby Gigi?”

“Now that is the part that isn’t true. That isn’t Gianna Gage. That’s Bella Swan.”

“Who the hell is Bella Swan?”

“Gianna’s stunt double.”

“Oh,” Benjamin said. “Oh. Well, damn.”

“Damn?”

“I was hoping it was true. It was a big deal when it was announced you and Gigi were going to work together. If the two of you got together in real life, well, that’d be aces.”

Edward rolled his eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you. Have you alerted Gianna’s people?”

“Of course. If she really isn’t the one in the picture, I’m betting that persistent beep in my ear is Tia.” He sighed. “How do you want to handle this?”

“Sounds like we have a little bit of time. Why don’t you meet me on set? Tell Tia to come, too. That way we can all chat. Bella needs to have a say in this, too. If we want to acknowledge the story at all, deny it was Gianna, the paps are going to start digging into who it was.”

“It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing to let the tabs believe what they want to believe,” Benjamin said, his tone musing.

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one that has to deal with the paps getting in your face. You know they’re rabid if they think they’ve caught a whiff of something.”

“Point taken. We’ll wait to talk to Gianna and Bella.”

Edward forwarded the e-mail to his assistant, Charlotte, and Emmett, so they wouldn’t be caught unawares. It was still fifteen minutes until his alarm would have gone off, but Edward got out of bed anyway.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to find Emmett in his kitchen with coffee. “You’re meeting with Benjamin and Gianna’s people about this, right?” he asked, beginning at the middle of the conversation as per usual.

“Why?” Edward asked, taking the coffee and eyeing Emmett with suspicion.

“I have a plan. Jasper is going to meet us there, too. Is Bella going to be on set today? We need her.”

Edward groaned. “You’re about to make this a production, aren’t you?”

“You do know you pay me to keep you safe, right? Assess and neutralize possible threats? I know this isn’t something you want to hear, Edward, but that insaniac who’s been sending you and Gianna letters--it warrants concern.”

“And what does any of that have to do with these photos?”

At that Emmett grinned. “You’ll see. In the meantime, come on. I’ll drive you to work.”

Edward sighed, resigned. He’d been looking forward to driving himself today, seeing as the studio’s doctors had given him the go ahead. He put his sunglasses on and waved an arm. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”

~0~

“Are you two insane?” Edward asked, looking between Emmett and Jasper. “Let me see if I have this straight. You want us, Bella and me, to keep seeing each other, only you want her to keep pretending she’s Gianna.”

“It allows us to control some variables,” Jasper said. “It might be easier to determine which of you is the stalker’s true target.”

“If either of us is actually being stalked,” Edward said.

Jasper ignored him. “The jealousy factor, if this person thinks you’re together, might drive them out into the open. We can settle this whole thing sooner than later, and you can get back to your life.”

“You want to use us as bait. No, you want to use Bella as bait.”

“In a controlled setting,” Emmett said.

“You’re both crazy.”

“We’re--”

“If you remind me one more time that I’m paying you to do shit like this, well, I know a flight of fancy marble-esque stairs I can throw you down.” He winked at Bella. “I learned from the best of them.”

Emmett huffed. “You and what army is going to throw me down the stairs?” He crossed his arms, his impressive muscles on display.

Edward turned to Gianna and Bella. “Tell him he’s crazy. If you both hold him down, I’ll punch him for you.”

It was Tia, Gianna’s publicist, who spoke up then. She turned to Gianna with a smile. “How about you walk with Jasper to get some coffee?”

To Edward’s surprise, Gianna nodded. “Okay.”

When she was gone, he hung his head with a groan. “I can just see her innocence melting way.” He looked up at Tia. “You’re going to turn her into one of those actors who plan every move they make, every relationship they have.”

Tia narrowed her eyes. “Mr. Cullen, I heard about your unfortunate accident.”

Edward huffed. “Who didn’t? Those were some great pictures that pap caught. You know, I’m told I look at least ten years younger when my hair is sticking up in all directions like that. Extra pathetic points for the crutches.” He waved a hand at Benjamin. “This one tells me that it makes me look sympathetic--though why I need sympathy, I have no idea--and the studios are happy because it brings more attention to the film. Nothing says action movie like an actor getting injured on set.”

The woman seemed vaguely amused. “My point is that you haven’t been around the last few days. I know you were the one who talked Gianna into taking the role. She was scared. She was scared out of her mind by those letters, but you got her back to work. The letters have escalated since production got into full swing, and she’s not handling it well.”

“Oh?” Edward grimaced. “I knew she was getting more letters, but we haven’t really had a chance to talk.”

Tia leaned forward. “You and I know she’s not used to this. She’s scared, and it’s affecting her work. I’m not trying to run her life. I honestly do want what’s best for her. That’s why I like this plan.”

She turned to Bella and her smile gentled. “Miss Swan, we have an offer for you.”

Bella’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, this morning is about to get more interesting?”

“I know this is a lot to ask,” Tia said. “Your life isn’t being affected. No one knows who you are. But if you agree to do this, you’d be both greatly appreciated and very well compensated.”

Bella’s eyes near about popped out of her head. “You want to pay me to do this?” She looked to Edward and away. “What does Edward get? I don’t think you can afford his rates.”

Emmett snickered. “Maybe you missed the part where we try to smoke this potentially dangerous person out into the open, so he doesn’t have to worry.”

“And you want to put Bella in danger,” Edward said, rubbing his forehead.

“You’re the one who said we’re overreacting.” Emmett shook his head. “You’re not the president, Edward, as you so often remind me. It’s not that kind of dangerous. And it’s a controlled situation; that’s the point. Me and my team would be around.”

Edward dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, grumbling to himself. “This is ridiculous.”

“But will you do it?” Emmett asked.

With a sigh, Edward turned to Bella. “This is way too much to ask of you. This is my mess, and I’m sorry you got dragged into it even this much.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up. “I told you I didn’t want to go on a date with an actor, but hey, I can’t say you’re predictable.”

Before he could answer that, she turned to Tia and Emmett, sitting up straighter. “Okay, so tell me more about what you’re thinking. Just so you know up front, I draw the line at sex tapes.”

~0~

It was a long day. Edward’s head ached. His leg ached. He wanted to get his stuff from his trailer and go home.

He groaned when he saw someone waiting, leaning up against his trailer door. It took him a minute to realize it was Bella, and she had coffee. He said nothing at first, only held her gaze, his eyes never leaving hers as he opened the door to his trailer. He grabbed his duffel bag from inside and shut it again. “Hi,” he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back, handing him one of the coffees in her hand. “Hey.”

“Thank you.” Edward closed his eyes as he took a restorative drink. “Damn, I needed that.”

“I don’t blame you.” She yawned. “Both crews have been obnoxiously busy today.”

“At least we’re home before midnight.”

She hummed. “You might be. We still have one more shot, but set up isn’t done yet.”

Edward winced in sympathy. “Brutal. So to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced at him. “I came by to thank you for the new gig, of course. Pretty cushy work for a stunt double.”

“Ah. I really am sorry about that.”

“You know, stud, if you wanted a second date, you could have just asked.”

Edward quirked an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. “You’re telling me you would have said yes?”

“Well, no, but this is a bit much, isn’t it?”

He leveled her with a tired, serious expression. “I act for a living, Bella. I like my job, but not so much that I want to act out my social life as well.”

Bella studied him a moment. “Okay, how about this? I like you, Edward Cullen.”

His lip twitched and he glanced up at her. “That sounded like it was painful to admit.”

“I’m trying to keep your ego in check. Anyway, the point is, under other circumstances this whole thing sounds like a lot of fun. Fucking with paps sounds like a good time.” She tilted her head up. “Sounds like something I would do with my friend, if I had a chance.”

Edward cocked his head. Having fun with a friend sounded a lot better than letting his bodyguard dictate his life. “Confession for me then. I like you, too, Bella Swan. How do I sign up for this friendship business? Do I look you up on Facebook?”

“Ha. Sure. You do that, stud.”

“In all seriousness, that’s not a bad spin on things. I’d much rather be your friend than your job.”

Bella huffed, throwing her arms out in mock indignance. “And now you’re calling me a whore.”

“I said job not John,” Edward said with a laugh. “Besides, you already negotiated that part of your contract. No on screen nudity.”

“Yes. I require a body double for that kind of thing. Besides, Gianna’s breasts are a lot bigger than mine.”

“Nothing a little padding can’t fix.” He struggled not to laugh at the disparaging look she fixed him with. “For the sake of accuracy, of course. I think your breasts are lovely.”

“Are you sexually harassing me?”

“I’m testing your boundaries. Friends should know each other’s sense of humor.”

“Likely story.”

“Hey, Bella.” Someone called across the lot. “Break’s over. Let’s get a move on.”

Bella waved a hand. “Coming.”

**  
“Well, friend. I’ll let you get back to work.” Edward smiled, and reached out, briefly squeezing Bella’s hand. “I think you’re right. This is going to be a lot of fun.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Between the three of them, Femme Malheureuse, JessyPt, and songster might just figure out how to get me to recognize passive voice. Thanks to them and MoH, Packy 2.0, and barburella.
> 
> So! Thoughts about this new plan?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shorty mcshort chapters on this story. Ah well. They’ll likely get longer soon. Happy Friday, everyone!

Edward backed out of his driveway carefully so as not to run over the paps who got in his way. They did it on purpose, the assholes. They slapped at his windows, peering in from all angles and snapping pictures. “So, Gigi is going to follow you then?” one of them called through the window, leering knowingly.

Behind his sunglasses, Edward rolled his eyes and continued inching backward. He heard their lewd comments and entertained the fantasy of pressing the gas harder. Just a little. Just enough to knock one of these turds off his feet.

Then again, they’d love that. Nothing the paps loved better than a story they could blow out of proportion. There wasn’t much they liked better than a celebrity on a rampage. They’d make him look like a maniac with a few photographs and a grossly exaggerated doctor’s report.

“Guess you asshats are safe today,” Edward said to himself, finally free of the paps on the street. He drove off, glancing around lest one of the assholes leap out in front of him.

He managed to get to the studio without further incident, and he was whisked off to hair and makeup. Just another day at the office.

When he was released mid-morning to go back to his trailer while the crew reset for the next scene, Edward decided a nap was in order. He got in the door, closed it behind him, and yelped as he caught sight of the figure stretched out on bed. “What the hell, Bella,” he said, hand to his heart.

She had her arms propped behind her head, the picture of nonchalance as she grinned at him. “So, seeing as you got me all tangled up in this mess, I decided to do a risk assessment. I wanted to see how easy it would be to stalk you. Pretty easy, it turns out.”

Hands on his hips, Edward looked down at her. “It’s probably not even a stalker. No one gets into the studio without clearance, which you have.”

“You have such a limited imagination. You think it’s outside of the realm of possibility that the person who’s doing this is someone with access to the set?”

“Mmhmm. Maybe it’s someone in this room.” He sat on the bed and leaned down so he was propped on one elbow, near but not touching her. “Maybe I’m not the one with the diabolical plan after all.”

He could see the way her cheeks flushed, and her eyes dilated. He couldn’t help himself. He rolled so he was supported on both his hands, still not touching her in any way, but straddling her form, hovering over her. “What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Swan?” he asked, keeping his tone purposefully light.

Her breath stuttered and she narrowed her eyes. “Hey, man. I’m just here hanging out with my pal. Is this a very friendly pose you’ve got going on?”

He didn’t move, but he let a smile curl up the corner of his mouth. “I’m not seducing you. I’m teasing you, friend.”

She smirked. “A friendly tease, hmm? You tease Emmett like this?”

“Oh, no. I tease Emmett with a French tickler.”

That made her laugh, and the sound of her mirth made him smile. She was a beautiful woman, and having her beneath him like this was titillating. He wanted nothing more than to lower himself down, taste her lips, and feel her body pressed up into every line of his.

He blew a breath out of his nose. “I’m not going to insult your intelligence. If you pull me down with you on this bed, I’m not going to resist for the sake of friendship. I think there’s room for this”--he dipped low, still not touching her in any way-- “and friendship, but I’m also not pressing. You’re safe with me. If I didn’t think you understood that, I wouldn’t tease you.”

Reluctantly, he rolled to the side, sitting up on the bed. “Besides, you started it.”

She cleared her throat, and when she spoke, there was a touch of gravel to her voice. “I started it?”

He hummed. “Or was it someone else who I found in here, uninvited, on my bed.” He grinned at her. “Tease.”

“Has anyone ever told you you have an over-inflated ego?”

Edward snorted and got up, sitting instead at the cutout sofa opposite her. “Every other reporter. A good percentage of anyone who’s ever picked up an entertainment magazine. The list goes on.”

“So I’m in good company.”

“Sure, if you want to call Perez Hilton good company.”

Bella made a face. “Ew.”

He held his hands up in a placating gesture. “It’s not my fault he was the last person who called me pompous.”

Bella rolled over onto her stomach so she could look at him. She looked a lot younger that way, her hair messy and her feet in the air. She could have passed for a high school kid. Hell, she had before. Her last job had been as a stunt double for a seventeen-year-old actress. It wasn’t that her youth turned him on. It didn’t, though he did think she looked very pretty that way. Rather, it kindled that odd, protective instinct he sometimes had towards her.

Edward stretched his arm along the back of the sofa, resting his head along the back so he could stare at the ceiling. “So what are you really doing here? I thought the stunt team had the day off today.”

“We do, but Dad doesn’t. He and the technical team are going over the next set.”

“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”

“Oh, right.” She rolled onto her back again and stretched, doing some kind of yoga-esque pose. Lifting her hips up off the bed, she pointed her legs straight up in the air. Flexible. She was damn flexible. Her even breathing seemed to indicate she could hold a pose too. “Dad’s car is in the shop.”

Edward blinked, finding she had tilted her head back and was staring at him with a mischievous smile. “Huh?” He shook his head. “You’re his ride is what you’re saying.”

“Yes. His very bored ride. That scene you guys were doing wasn't very entertaining."

"So sorry to disappoint a fan."

"I decided to break in here so I could offer the tabs some anonymous insider info. What kind of bullshit does Edward Cullen demand for his trailer."

"Clean sheets."

"How terribly demanding."

"It’s slightly on the unreasonable side. My contract actually reads that the sheets have to be fresh in box or bag. I make my own bed."

“I’m going to need you to diva it up. How do you expect me to sell these secrets? Clean sheets.” Bella scoffed. “You’re a disgrace as a celebrity, Edward.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Well, I guess I’m done here. I’ll resign from the film. I’ll have my house packed up by the weekend. By next week, I’ll be somewhere in Illinois, working at a gas station. It’s all over.”

She laughed again. “My work here is done, obviously.”

“Again. It appears I’m not the one with the devious plot.” He lifted his head to give her the hairy eyeball. She grinned at him, the picture of innocence.

“Truth? Besides the fact I was bored, I decided to drop by and see if Special Agent Super Buff has come up with a solid plan,” Bella said.

Edward sat up straighter. “The problem with this is we don’t even know if anything is actually going on. It’s all conjecture at this point. So, the first thing we need to do is eliminate the variables. The biggest question is whether or not this person is actually stalking one of us, and if so, which one?

“We start off with Gianna being very careful. She has to lay low, and try not to be anywhere anyone else can see her. No paps. On the other hand, we”--he gestured between them--“go slightly more high profile. Nothing too obvious. If the paps figure out it’s not Gianna, the whole plan goes poof.”

“No more playdates for us, eh?” Bella said.

“Exactly. Anyway. Like we talked about before, the hope is that this person will get agitated by our fake relationship and slip up. Leave something resembling a clue Emmett and his people can use to identify them. But, there’s the long game too. A stalker’s primary characteristic is obsession. It would be natural to assume they’d pick up on a pattern. The idea is to give them what they’re looking for. We start going to the same places. Establish consistency, and the stalker will show up.”

“And so will the paps.”

Edward grimaced. “Well, yes, but the paps are obvious. The idea is to figure out which one of them isn’t a pap but a stalker. Emmett will be able to figure out if any of the patrons or people loitering outside are repeatedly in the same place we are.” He shrugged. “At the very least, drawing attention to us will give Gianna a little more ease of movement. If the paps think she’s with me, they won’t go looking for where she really is.”

“Okay, that’s the plan.” Bella rolled again and sat cross-legged on his bed. “What’s the first step?”

Edward glanced at his watch and tried to reckon how much time he had until the next set change. Just enough, he figured. He got up and went to his closet. “I think Gianna and I are going to develop a habit of going to the coffee shop across the street when we have a break from the set. Come here.”

He was mildly surprised when Bella obeyed without comment. She stepped up beside him. He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. His lip twitched at her expression of bemusement.

“You know how you have this whole thing about not dating movie stars?” Edward asked as he looked from her slight body to the collection of jackets in his closet.

She quirked a questioning eyebrow at him.

“I got curious.” He held out one of his lightest jackets--a hunter green number that would be just right on a crisp, autumn day. “I looked up some of your exes. Namely the tabloids around that time.”

Bella grimaced. “Fun stuff, right?”

Edward held up a baseball cap and a beanie for her to choose from. When she pointed to the beanie, he slipped it on her head. “I never thought about it before,” he said, tucking a strand of her hair under the cap, out of her eyes. “The tabs are terrible for us, for actors, I mean. But at the end of the day, we’ll still have fans, respect, power. You?” He sighed, and stepped back. “I can’t imagine there was an upside to the things they said about you.”

She offered him a small, sad smile. “No one knows who I am, Edward. I was just a nameless girl they messed with.”

Most of the articles had dismissed her as an opportunistic fan. The tabs could say almost anything about a nameless, faceless mere mortal who tried to play with the gods. “Maybe there’s a mercy in that, but your friends must have known. Your father, and more importantly, you.”

He touched her arm, and they started walking. “After going through all that, what you’re doing for Gianna and me right now…” He shook his head, opening the door for her. “In case you don’t know, Bella, I think you’re very brave.”

She ducked her head, looking forward as they walked. Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment, but not the bad kind. “Don’t kid yourself, Cullen. I’m only doing this because I could use the money.”

Edward didn’t press it. He fished in his own jacket, pulled out his sunglasses, and offered them to her.

Before they left, Edward had texted Gianna and Emmett. Gianna knew to stay safely in her trailer. Emmett met them at the gate.

Edward was a seasoned hand at evading the paps. The name of the game today wasn’t total evasion. They needed to be just sneaky enough to be seen but not clearly. They were aiming for the pixelated, maybe-it-is, maybe-it-isn’t kind of photo.

The paps already had the beginnings of the relationship he wasn’t going to have with Gianna. They wanted to believe. Hell, as Benjamin had pointed out, most of their fans wanted to believe it was true. The facts were all there for them to put together. The coffee shop was right across from the studio. They all knew Edward and Gianna were filming a movie together. They had the original photos to start the rumor. All they needed was another grainy picture, and the story would write itself.

Keeping the paps’ cameras from getting too good a look at the brunette with Gianna’s hair and size made the story even easier. Spotting a pap with his camera up, Edward pulled Bella toward him, tilting his face down as though to whisper something to her just before they entered the coffee shop. It obscured her face, but it also looked like an intimate gesture.

“Stay here. I’ll get our drinks,” Edward said, leading Bella to one of the few booths toward the back of the place.

She laughed, and he leaned down. “What’s so funny?”

“I keep expecting the director to yell ‘cut.’ It’s like being in a really long scene.” She shook her head, pulling her glasses down to look at him. “I’m not used to doing the long, drawn out, emotional scenes. I do the physical stuff.”

“See, that’s what they call a mixed signal, Swan,” he said, clucking his tongue. “You have told me repeatedly you don’t do the physical stuff. At least, not with actors.”

She grabbed his jacket and pulled him down. Their faces were scant inches from each other. “Go get us some coffee, Edward.”

His heart had picked up an elevated rhythm, and he grinned. Two can play at this game, Swan, and I’m better at it. He ducked his head, letting his nose tickle the hair near her ear. He was close enough he knew his words had to vibrate against her skin. “Tease. Tell me what you want,” he said in his most seductive voice.

He pulled back, catching her momentary fluster. “To drink,” he said, his voice once again light and normal, before she could recover. “Tell me what you want to drink.”

She rolled her eyes. “Mango iced tea and lemonade.”

“That isn’t coffee, Swan.”

“He’s smarter than he looks, ladies and gentlemen.” She crinkled her nose. “Coffee is disgusting.”

Edward put a hand to his heart as though she’d wounded him.

“Daylight’s burning, stud. Let’s get out of here. We wouldn’t want you to get fired, you diva. Don’t think you can hold up production just because the Craft Service coffee isn’t good enough for you.”

Edward narrowed his eyes. “You know if that story shows up in the tabs in a couple of days, your whole charade will be exposed.”

“Luckily, I have that whole stunt double thing to fall back on.”

“Oh, well. There is that.”

 **  
**She made a shooing motion and he turned to get their coffee, a big, stupid grin plastered on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have a really great group of pre-readers and betas. Also? My Facebook group is lovely. Sara Dunne made me such a cute banner for this story. I love it. You should pop by and take a look.
> 
> Fly Away Home is next on the docket.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, gorgeous people. Let’s get down to it eh?

When Emmett found out Edward had left the house on his own, without protection, he was livid.

“You need to start taking this more seriously.”

Edward leaned back in his seat to find Emmett standing over him, beefy arms crossed and a stern look on his face. His stomach twisted. His brother-in-law was rarely as solemn-faced as he was right then. If Emmett was this concerned… But no.

“Emmett, I spent the vast majority of my twenties jumping at shadows. You remember how paranoid I was when we first met. It didn’t matter where I went, someone always knew. Someone was always stopping me on the street, telling me these creepy things about how they thought about me all the time, how they knew this or that intimate detail of my life. For fuck’s sake. I’m so famous, my parents get recognized from time to time when they’re not even with me.”

Edward shook his head and closed his eyes. “I used to be terrified to go anywhere, to live my life at all, in part because of the weird things people said and sent me. I’m not going to start down this path. I’m not going to start thinking every crazy little thing people say means someone is going to...what? Attack me? Jump me? You think some woman is going to jump out of the shadows, pull me into a dark alley and have her wicked way with me?” He scoffed.

“What if she has a gun, Edward? What if she’s got a van and a roofie? What if she’s a he?”

“What if she’s an alien with mind-reading abilities here because she feasts on souls and she needs mine?” Edward waved his hand as though unconcerned. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t thought about all of those things many times before. The paps were proof enough that his every move could be, and often was, tracked. Knowing his whereabouts sure made things easier for would-be kidnappers, murderers and the like.

Emmett gripped the desk chair Edward was sitting in and spun it around to face him. “Read these,” he said, throwing a few letters in Edward’s lap.

He considered refusing, but the look in Emmett’s eyes was serious. Filled with trepidation, he picked up the first letter. Then the second. By the third, his hands were trembling. He tossed the letters on the desk and clenched his hands in fists, taking deep breaths through his nose.

“You still think they’re nothing?” Emmett asked.

Edward glanced at his bodyguard, assessing the situation. “They are nothing, Emmett. The delusions of an obsessive mind, that’s all.”

Emmett rolled his eyes. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.” Edward picked up one of the letters and shook it in his face. “These are words. Just words. You and your team have been on high alert for two weeks now. Bella and I have been going out for coffee like clockwork for a week. The tabs are giddy with the story. Every entertainment journalist in town has called Benjamin. My own mother wants to know if it’s true that I’m with Gianna. In all of that, have you or Jasper actually seen anyone who could possibly be a threat? We go to that coffee shop, and everyone is grinning, waiting for us.”

Gianna was shy, the tabs said. Since the paps couldn’t come into the buildings, they were constantly catching mere glimpses. Now, there were a lot of grainy photos of Bella entering the back of the coffee shop with him, her features mostly hidden behind her long hair--cut just like Gianna’s--and a bulky jacket. The interior of the shop was too dark to allow the customers who tried to get any more than a blurry photo of Bella ducking into a booth where she was mostly hidden to wait for Edward.

“You see this?” Emmett said, showing him two envelopes. “The first letters we assumed were from him were sent from halfway across the country. The newest are from right here in L.A. Do you understand that? He’s on the move.”

“You’re assuming they’re the same person. You’re seeing what you want to see.”

“Edward, why the hell would I want to see this? I’ve been protecting your stupid ass for how long? Why would I decide now I need a conspiracy theory to chase?”

“It’s my fault, I think,” Edward said, rubbing his chin. “When we first met, when I was a piss-my-pants newbie at all this, you were hypervigilant then. I brought you Gianna in the same state. You’re just feeding off her fear.”

“When we met, you were just a client. You give the clients what they want. You wanted me to take every scrap of paper, every person who looked at you wrong as a threat. I did what you wanted, but I knew better. I knew you were fine. This is different. You don’t want to think you might be in danger, and I suppose you’re right. You might not be. The fact it’s you this person is obsessed with might keep you safe. Then again, obsession is often the motivating cause for deranged murderers.”

Edward blew a breath out of his nose. “You’re exaggerating.”

“No,” Emmett said, his voice firm. “Think about how hard you’re working to brush this off. After you realized there were a lot of strange people in the world, you got someone to go through your fan mail for you. They only forward you the letters they think you should look at--the kids with cancer, the really well written ones, and the ones that set off alarm bells, right?”

Edward grimaced. He knew where this was going, and he didn’t like it.

“Obviously, this person’s letters got on someone’s radar, because you read them. You read them. You read them and didn’t tell me--which is dumb as hell, by the way. I don’t know why you’d keep me employed if you keep shit like this from me.” Emmett shook that off. “But when I asked you about it directly, you did tell me, which means you hadn’t dismissed this as nothing. You’re in denial, and that’s not helpful for me. I need you to snap out of it.”

Edward gave an irritated grunt, but he didn’t say anything. He rocked in his desk chair, his eyes on the letters he’d thrown on the desk. Tentatively, he picked up the latest one.

The dust on the paper told Edward that Emmett had been looking for fingerprints. There were none. Edward understood what that meant. This person knew enough, at least, that he or she didn’t want to be identified. The letter itself was typewritten, as was the address on the envelope.

Despite himself, Edward’s heartbeat began to stutter. Those things in and of themselves were quite a bit more serious than the average obsessed fan.

Then, there was the content of the letter. The tone was concerned. This person wrote at length about a supposed plot by Gianna to use his fame and now, to break his heart. They lamented about how it would have been better if Gianna had remained off the project. They thought it was all a ploy, that she’d backed out of the project so no one would suspect what she was up to.

Delusional ramblings and conspiracy theories. But it was the words interspersed in those ramblings that sent chills down Edward’s spine.

I understand, they had written. Your hands are tied, but it’s okay. I’ll help you.

I’ll help you.

“Dammit,” Edward muttered under his breath. He rubbed his temples. “And you let me drag Bella into this.”

“We’ve been over that. You and Bella and Gianna are all fine when we’re out with you. When I know where you are. I got your back, boss, but you have to work with me. I know it’s not what you want, but you have to tell me if you’re going out.”

Edward hummed. “And nothing you can take to the police yet?”

“I’ve been in touch with my contact, but you know the drill. Nothing in the letters was directly threatening, and there was no identifying information. They’re not going to spend taxpayer dollars until there’s a physical threat.”

“Dammit,” Edward said again. He pounded his fist on the desktop. “This was nothing. This was a pretty young actress, new to the scene, running scared from nothing. How could it possibly be something?”

“Look, in all likelihood, it won’t amount to anything. What’s that line? Like a dog chasing a car. Even if this guy gets to you, it’s not like he’d know what to actually do with you. Just...we’re trying to prevent a Misery situation. That’s all.”

“Oh, sure. Wouldn’t want to end up with my feet hacked off, after all.”

~0~

Principal photography was with the good guys currently--Gianna, the sidekick, and the love interest--but that didn’t mean Edward had the week off. He had a rather intense action sequence to film in a few weeks. The more complex moves would be done by his stunt double, Alec, of course, but he still had wire work shots to do. Getting yanked around by wires wasn’t his favorite thing, but that was what he was paid to do.

Edward wasn’t worried about the training. What filled him with a certain amount of trepidation was the fact he’d be spending a solid week with Charlie Swan. It was somewhat awkward, though Edward told himself a million times there was no reason to feel that way. It wasn’t as if he was defiling the man’s daughter. Sure, the tabs thought he was, but they also believed Bella was Gianna.

Anyway, it was just uncomfortable. Edward wasn’t sure whether to bring it up. He wasn’t even sure Charlie was aware what was going on. Had Bella even told him they were hanging out?

The fourth time Charlie left him hanging--dangling above the safety mat on the floor while he calibrated for an unnecessarily long amount of time--Edward figured the odds were high that Charlie knew something was going on between him and Bella. The harness wasn’t painful per se, but it wasn’t comfortable either.

The kick when he was yanked backward--that was painful. That happened a number of times. Of course. His character was supposed to have some fancy technology that allowed for some kind of crazy parkour action--jumping off buildings and walls etc. Charlie insisted on practicing that move over and over again.

Still, Charlie was nothing but professional. He spoke with the whole team, Edward included, in a sure, kind voice. He led them through the steps to get used to the jerk of the wire and helped take them through the moves the scene required.

All in all, it was a productive day. At the end of it, Edward approached Charlie. They assessed each other.

Charlie, Edward supposed, didn’t say anything because to do so would be disrespectful to Bella. She was an adult, and he had no say in her life. But he was also her father. If he knew everything, he likely didn’t appreciate Edward dragging his daughter into his drama. If Bella hadn’t told him anything, he probably wasn’t fooled like the public was by the tabs’ stories. He would have recognized it was Bella with Edward in those photos, not Gianna. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t going to say that out loud. Not to Edward, anyway.

As for Edward, he had no claim on Bella. Defending their actions would have been presumptuous. There wasn’t anything going on between them, but it wasn’t up to him to explain that to her father.

Instead, he offered his hand. “It’s a genuine pleasure to finally work with you, Mr. Swan,” he said, shaking Charlie’s hand with a firm pressure. Charlie squeezed back in a predictable handshake grip of death. Edward didn’t flinch. “Everything I’ve heard about you is true. You and your team are excellent.”

Charlie grunted and released his hand. “Always nice to work with a professional, Mr. Cullen. Call me Charlie.”

“And call me Edward.”

Charlie nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, and with a nod, walked away.

“What was that about?” Emmett asked, peering around a corner. Edward hadn’t known he was on set, but that wasn’t a surprise.

“Just my life,” Edward said with a laugh. “I’m pretending to date a woman being played by a stunt double who just happens to be that man’s daughter.” He rubbed his side, sore from the wires. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he ‘accidentally’ hung me upside down.”

“This is why you don’t go to work with your father,” Emmett said with a laugh.

Edward stroked his chin. “I think I could have made a decent doctor.”

~0~

Just as Edward was locking his trailer, ready to go home for the day, he raised his head at the sound of approaching footsteps. A smile stretched wide across his face when he saw who it was. “Hello there, pretty lady. I didn’t think you were on set this week.”

“Heya, stud,” Bella said, coming to a stop a few paces from him. “I’m technically not on set this week. I have another job. No big thing. Nine-day shoot.”

“Ah, so you’re only here because you couldn’t stand to be away from me, huh?”

She snickered. “Sure, okay. It might have been that. Or it might have been the fact I still have to pick my dad up. I don’t know what the hell he did to his truck, but it’s not looking good.”

“A likely excuse.”

“Uh huh. Also, you, sir, are horrible at picking up your phone.”

Edward screwed up his face. “It died.”

“Yes, and I’m sure there is a shortage of chargers on a movie set.”

“Why were you trying to call me?” Edward leaned up against his trailer, giving a knowing look. “Phone sex, right? You wanted a phone sex nooner?”

“You do have an active imagination, don’t you?” Bella clucked her tongue as though lamenting his condition. “Gianna was trying to get a hold of you, actually.”

Edward’s grin fell. “Is everything okay?”

“Fine.” Bella glanced around to see if anyone was in listening distance. She stepped closer, leaning in. “She wants to go out with a friend tomorrow night, so she was wondering if you and I might deign to draw the attention of the paps in the opposite direction. She also gave me a ridiculous bonus, so I was thinking, we could hit the town long enough to be seen, then you could come over to my place for movies and pizza.”

Edward hummed, pretending to mull it over. “I don’t know, Swan. That sounds suspiciously like another date to me. I have to say, if you get me over to your house, I fear for my virtue.”

“Have no fear, little boy.” Bella leaned in again, her lips so close to his ear, he shivered. “I invited Emmett and your sister before I invited you.”

She stepped back, out of his bubble space, and Edward blinked at her dumbly. “Wait, what?”

“I said Gianna gave me a ridiculous bonus. How much could pizza and movies for two possibly be?” she said, smiling a sweet and innocent grin. “A pizza party on the other hand…” She shrugged. “I think Jasper is coming too. He’s having someone else cover Gianna tomorrow.”

“Sneaky, Swan. Very sneaky.” He fell into step beside her as they made their way to the parking lot. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, why not?”

“This whole thing we’re doing. Are you scared at all?”

She glanced at him, a perplexed look on her face. “No. Why would I be?”

“You’ve read the letters.”

Bella snorted. “Crazy fans, man. They say a lot of weird shit.” She shook her head. “No. As far as I’m concerned, this is the easiest money I’ve ever made.” She winked at him. “Come on. Not many people get paid to hang out with their good buddies, right?”

“Oh, we’ve graduated to good buddies, hmm? I hardly know you. Next thing you know, you’ll be writing our wedding vows.”

“There you go with that imagination.” They stopped at his car and she turned to him. “You know, if it’s such a chore to hang out with me, I can split my salary with you. That might make it a little more palatable.”

“You think you can pay me off, huh?”

“I don’t think I can afford your rates, stud, but at least it’s fair. Things should be fair, I think.”

“See? There’s something new for my list of things I know about you. Bella Swan. She likes things to be fair.”

“Yep. I’m also a Virgo who likes long walks on the beach.” She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Is that enough information to be buddies now?”

“Hmm. Buddies is moving a little fast,” Edward said. “How about we call ourselves casual acquaintances?”

“Whatever floats your boat, buddy.”

Edward sighed, feigning agitation. “Always taking such liberties with me.”

“Yeah, I’m so pushy.” Bella’s grin fell slightly and she she coughed into her hand, looking across the lot to where her father had emerged. “Anyway. I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 **  
**Unable to help himself, Edward took her hand and shook it. “Looking forward to it, casual acquaintance of mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many thanks to my team of lovely people who keep me on my toes and make my docs an awesome place to be.
> 
> How are you doing, lovelies? It’s almost the weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oye. If only you knew how many times I changed things. Sorry for the wait! Let’s see what the kids are up to.

“There you are, good buddy.” Edward emerged from his trailer’s bathroom, fresh from a shower. He was shirtless, and he couldn’t help but smirk when he saw Bella’s eyes rake over his form. He hung a towel around his neck, lifting one end to dry his hair as he looked at her. “I thought you were going to stand me up for our date tonight.”

 

Bella finally met his eyes and quirked an eyebrow. “Our carefully manufactured date that everyone else in the world thinks you’ll be taking with Gianna?”

 

Edward sat down in a chair opposite her, spreading his arms wide across the back. “That’s the one.”

 

An amused smile played at her lips. “What? You’re not going to give me crap because I suddenly appeared in your trailer?”

 

“My good buddy with boundary issues.” He lifted his foot and let the tip of his toe run along the length of her leg. “Who apparently likes me to tease her.”

 

Smirking, Bella bounced her leg, casting his foot off. “Like isn’t the same thing as expect.”

 

Edward hummed. “So, why did you break into my trailer, Swan?”

 

“Break in?” she mocked, shaking her head. “You left it unlocked.”

 

“That’s true. Benjamin is the only one who barges in without knocking, and I know he’s not in town today.” He tilted his head. “Most people have better manners, but you know, in friendship, as with all relationships, you have to take people as they are. You have personal space issues, but I like you anyway.”

 

“So delusional. I don’t have personal space issues.”

 

Edward reached over and grabbed a stack of tabloids off a table. He tossed it so it landed beside her on the couch. “I have photographic evidence.”

 

She didn’t deign to look and didn’t need to. She knew well enough they were the pictures from their coffee ‘dates’ the week before. "I’m beginning to question everything I’ve read about you. Maybe you have tabloid-itis. You really haven’t had any relationships. Maybe all the relationships you think you’ve had have been the product of tabloid rumors like you and me--or you and Gianna, I guess. They spin the fantasy; you just have to believe it.”

 

“Ah, you’ve discovered my dirty secret. I’m actually still a virgin.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Do you want to be my mentor, baby? Do you want to teach me everything there is to know about the wonderful world of sex?”

 

“Wish I could, stud, but we have shit to do. I’m going to be late to my own party if you don’t get a move on.” Again her eyes strayed to his chest. “How about a shirt?”

 

“I can’t very well choose a shirt if I don’t know where we’re going.”

 

She stared at him for a beat before she stood. She strode to his closet and pulled it open.

 

“You take such liberties, Swan. What if I don’t like people touching my things?”

 

“What the hell is this?” she asked, ignoring him as she pulled a shirt out. It was a dark blue shirt with a yellow pattern of flowers, plants, and suns. Even he balked when he saw it. “Please tell me you’ve never worn this shirt.”

 

“You know someone stocks these trailers, right?” Edward shook his head. “I’m sure it’s someone’s latest fashion, and they ‘donated’ it for my use just in case I’d be caught dead wearing it in public.”

 

She stared at the horrendous shirt for another second before she put it back. “Good dare material, I guess.” She glanced down at what he was wearing in the way of pants and then back into the closet.

 

After a few more seconds, her expression brightened. “Much better,” she said as she pulled out a charcoal-colored button down. Simple and casual. She tossed it on his lap. “Where are your socks?”

 

Edward got to his feet. “I’ll get my own socks.” He shrugged into the shirt. “Next thing you know, you’re going to want to dress me.”

 

She stepped into his personal space as though she belonged there. Shocked, Edward stood still, watching her as she pulled his shirt closed over his chest. Keeping her gaze steady on his eyes, she started to button him up, top button first. “What? You don’t have people for this?”

 

He snorted. “A personal dresser. Now that’s the ancient kings of England level of douche. I’d like to think I’m not quite that bad.”

 

She left the top three buttons undone and ran an approving hand down his chest before she looked at him. “You’re all right.”

 

Before she could move away, he caught her at the elbow. He leaned in so they were almost nose to nose. “I told you you have personal space issues,” he said and winked at her before he let her go.

~0~

Everything went to plan. Edward and Bella left the studio together so that no one would pay attention to Gianna’s friend’s car right behind them. They made sure the paps caught them on their way out. “Just what is the allure of blurry car photos?” Edward asked, shaking his head as they turned on to the main street.

 

“Hush, you. If not for blurry photos, I wouldn’t have this side job.” She reached over and patted his knee. “And you wouldn’t get the pleasure of my company.”

 

“I don’t know, Swan. This all started when you threw me down a flight of stairs.” He glanced at her. “That’s a pretty intense thing to do to someone you don’t care about. I think you would have figured out a way to see more of me even if you weren’t getting paid. I’m just glad it worked out this way, without more bodily injury to me.”

 

“I wouldn’t count out the no bodily injury thing yet. I’m beginning to think I’m being underpaid to put up with the likes of you.”

 

Their actual business was brief. It took only twenty minutes to let people inside the bar get surreptitious photos of Edward and Bella together. As soon as Edward noticed a few people working up the nerve to come ask them for photos or autographs, they gave the server a bill that more than covered their tab and left. Outside, a small swarm of paps met the pair. Edward pulled Bella to him so ‘Gianna’ could hide her face in his side.

 

“That was thoroughly unpleasant,” Bella said when they were safely away.

 

It was the first time the paps had been close enough to touch her and taunt her. “Aggressive assholes. I should have had Emmett escort us out.” He shook his head, checking the mirror to make sure they were only being followed by his bodyguard. “They never bothered you when you were with your exes?”

 

“Of course they did. That’s what makes it unpleasant instead of scary. I knew what I was getting into when I took this job.” She shrugged, straightening up from where she had been slouched down in the passenger seat. “I suppose it’s nice that they’re not calling my name when they say stupid things.”

 

Edward hummed. “Well, fuck them anyway. It’s party time.”

 

“Party starts at nine, stud. Don’t be that guy.”

 

“You’re really going to make me drop you off only to come all the way back here?”

 

She cast him a beatific smile. “You said yesterday you were afraid to be alone with me. I’m only trying to protect you.”

 

“I see.” Edward pressed his lips together, trying to think of some clever retort.

 

Bella laughed and propped her legs up on the dash. “You should see your face right now, Edward. You know, I don’t think you’re a diva, but you’re used to getting your way, aren’t you?”

 

“I’m used to people kissing my ass if that’s what you mean, but I think I’d fall over dead if you did something like that.” Edward spared a glance in her direction. “Kidding aside, I wouldn’t mind spending time with you without playing games with the paps. You know, maybe see if we’re buddies when you’re not getting paid.”

 

“Ouch, Cullen. Way to make it sound like I’m a whore.”

 

“Oh, please. You know what I meant.”

 

“Yes, I know.” She pretended to hem and haw as they pulled into her apartment complex. “Well, I suppose it would be cruel to send you packing. With traffic, you’d barely reach your door before you come back, and there’s a chance your paparazzi friends would trail you here. You may stay.”

 

Edward smirked and parked where she indicated. “You’re benevolent. Don’t let anyone tell you elsewise.”

 

“Okay,” Bella said a minute later as she unlocked her door. “I know you’re used to swanky premiere parties. This is not that.”

 

“This is a nice apartment complex, Swan. I’m not so far removed from the real world that I don’t know about the real estate around here. You do well for yourself.”

 

“Like you said before, my body is going to be all kinds of achy when I’m forty.” She shrugged. “That hasn’t stopped my dad, but it pays well in this business.”

 

The inside of her apartment was eclectic to say the least. Looking around, he could tell how she’d spent her money. Oh, sure, there was a nice entertainment center.She had the obligatory large flatscreen TV with a healthy array of game consoles. But most of the room was decorated with random, pretty things. The artistry and fine work of many different countries was represented. Her bookshelves--of which there were many--held books in a wide range of interest. Edward ran his hand along a row and his lips quirked. Every single book on that shelf and the one above it was full of ghost stories of different countries and states.

 

“It’s kind of my thing,” Bella said, looking sheepish. “I try to find a ghost book wherever I go.

 

“My mom does rocks. My dad does magnets,” Edward said. He picked up a small statue of a puffin etched in what he thought was soapstone. “Every metal surface in his office is covered with magnets of places he’s been.”

 

“Well, at least it’s not tiny bottles of dirt and sand,” Bella said. She looked at him. “Do you collect anything?”

 

“Bottles of dirt and sand,” Edward said, straight-faced.

 

Bella balked. “I didn’t...I mean--”

 

Edward laughed. “You should see the look on your face. No, I collect books and art, too. Not a specific type of book like this, though I like that idea. I try to collect art from local artists.” He gestured with the puffin. “Alaska, right?”

 

He put it down and touched another piece. “Greece.” Then another. “Italy.” Another. “South America, somewhere.”

 

“Brazil,” Bella said.

 

He picked up a box with an ornate, hand carved design and studied it for a moment. “Ru--” The word cut off when he realized Bella had followed him on his trek across the room. Now she was standing close. She seemed as startled as he was to find herself so near him. She blinked, and Edward swallowed hard. “Russia?” he asked.

 

For a moment, she seemed befuddled, as though the question was out of place with whatever was going on in her head. “Um.” Her gaze dropped briefly down to his hand and then back up to his eyes. “Croatia.”

 

“Croatia.” By then, politeness dictated that they should have moved away, given each other some space. It was a difficult thing to think about when all he really wanted to do was wrap his arm around her waist and bring her close enough to kiss. The way she was looking at him, as though caught in his stare… She felt this pull, didn’t she?

 

He shuffled a step to the side at the same time she did; instead of putting distance between them they were thrown closer together. At that point, not kissing her seemed so wrong as to be unnatural. He shifted his weight, unconsciously angling his body toward hers, and she still didn’t move.

 

No. He wasn’t that guy. Her eyes were screaming yes. Yes, yes, yes, please. But there was conflict in them as well. She had rebuffed him from the start, and, though she didn’t need to, she’d given him a very specific reason why. Yes, he was sure she wanted him to kiss her, but he could also see the uncertainty there. She didn’t want to want him. She’d said no, and no was a word he respected.

 

Her tongue peeked out, pink tip against pink lips. His eyes followed the motion, and he swayed. Maybe…

 

A knock on the door sent them both jolting backward. They both laughed nervously. They stared for a few seconds more until the person at the door began pounding out a rhythmic tattoo. Edward turned back to the shelf to put the box back in its place while Bella went to answer the incessant knocker.

 

“Bella!”

 

Edward looked up at the over-enthusiastic shout and saw a large, long-haired young man envelop Bella in a bear hug. Bella yelped as he picked her up so her legs were dangling off the ground as he spun her. He took a step forward and stopped himself. There was no reason to think this person was a threat, after all, so why was anger churning in his gut all of a sudden?

 

“Seth,” Bella said with a breathless laugh. She ruffled his hair affectionately when he set her down. “You’re going to crack my ribs someday.”

 

“Nah. You’re a tough chick.” Seth glanced to the side then, spotting Edward, and his demeanor changed in an instant. “Oh, uh. Wow, I mean. Hi?”

 

Edward couldn’t help but smile at the young man’s stammering. It was so incongruous with his intimidating form--slender but well muscled and tall. His face was turning interesting colors, the red standing out against tan skin. He was younger than Edward first thought. A few years younger than Bella, he wagered. Barely adult, if that.

 

Bella laughed. “Oh, man. Are you going to spaz out right now.” She cackled as Seth couldn’t seem to decide between staring at Edward and glaring at her. “You are. You’re totally about to fangirl.” She patted him on his broad back. “Dude, get it over with. Then you can spend the rest of the night recovering from embarrassment and realizing he’s not all that.” She grinned wickedly at Edward.

 

Seth giggled somewhat maniacally and rubbed the back of his head, his eyes still trained on Edward. “Sorry, I uh…Fuck, this is so not how I wanted this to go. I’m a stunt double. I meet actors all the time. I just…” He looked down and shuffled his feet. “You’re different.”

 

Edward, charmed in spite of himself, cleared his throat. He didn’t think he would ever get used to people’s varied reactions to him. People thought they knew him, and that brought out a whole array of interesting behavior. Some were familiar, as though they’d been friends for years. Others hated him on sight; they thought he was a snob, an asshole, a playboy. Some stared. Some cried. Some, like Seth, stammered and stuttered out something about how much they liked Edward and his work.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Seth,” Edward said, offering his hand.

 

Seth’s face lit up as he shook his hand. “Really, I’m not usually this… weird. Just… your early flicks got me through kind of a bad time in my life.”

 

Edward nodded and wondered when it would be polite to draw attention to the fact Seth was still shaking his hand. “Sorry you had to go through anything you needed to escape from.”

 

“Yeah.” Seth seemed to notice then what he was doing. He dropped Edward’s hand and stepped back. “Sorry. Uh… yeah. Sorry.”

 

Bella chortled. “Well, that about made my week.” She looked to Edward. “Last minute guest. Seth’s a stuntman.”

 

“Background stunt work. I’m one of the throw-away guys who gets tossed around before the lead gets to the big bad. Rarely a stunt double, like Bella,” Seth said with a smile. “Wrong skin color.” He brightened. “Every once in a while, I get to do work for someone who has a full mask on. I can’t wait until I have enough experience to work for one of the leads in a blockbuster. That’d be great.”

 

“Well, seeing as you’re what, twelve? I’d say you have every chance,” Edward said.

 

Bella clapped Seth on the shoulder. “Come on, kid. Help me order the pizzas.”

 

The rest of the guests arrived at the same time the pizzas did. In fact, Emmett stole the stack of pies from the pizza guy with an impish grin. The pockmarked teenager, somewhat overwhelmed by the rush of people suddenly all around him, got flustered. After some good-natured ribbing, he was sent off with a healthy tip, and the party began in earnest.

 

First, the introductions. Rosalie, older than Edward by three years, greeted Bella with a tight smile and an assessing eye. Edward couldn’t really blame her. She was always suspicious of his new friends, having seen him get burned one too many times. Friendships, like most other relationships, were fickle in this business.

 

The final newbie of the group was Alice, a petite, raven-haired creature Jasper had been on a few dates with. Edward was most amused at the way she ignored Rosalie’s cool attitude.She spoke to his sister as though they were best friends, until Rose forgot they were strangers. Before long, they were talking, heads bent together, cackling.

 

Anything that made his sister cackle like that should have worried Edward, or at least piqued his curiosity. Any other night, it would have, but, as usual, most of Edward’s concentration focused on Bella. She was a highlighted phrase on a page that drew his eyes. The highlighted phrases were always the best.

 

She could cook. The pizza was the main dish, but she’d pulled all sorts of appetizers out of the fridge as everyone arrived. They were tasty.

 

“Pinterest,” she said and shrugged. Though she brushed it off easy, Edward saw the pleasure on her face as she watched her guests enjoy her food.

 

The drinks flowed, and Emmett, snooping through her games, was delighted to find Dance Central. Minutes later, he and Bella were wrapped up in an epic dance-off. Emmett was more graceful and coordinated than he looked, so the competition got intense.

 

By the time Bella plopped down on the couch next to Edward, she’d taken off her shirt, leaving her in a black tank top. It was a good look on her. What wasn’t? But he particularly enjoyed seeing her like this - face flushed and hair unruly.

 

Edward pushed that thought away. “You cook, you dance. What don’t you do, Bella?” he asked, teasing.

 

She rolled her head along the back of the couch to look at him. “I’m really bad at crafting. It always ends up looking like a kindergartener did it, no matter what it is.” She put on a mournful expression. “I tried scrapbooking once. All the pages stuck together. Glue is a tricky bitch.”

 

Edward chuckled and bopped her nose lightly. “Even you have flaws, I suppose.”

 

“Ha.” She closed her eyes. “I have a few.”

 

For a few seconds, Edward thought she might have fallen asleep. Just as suddenly as she had plopped down, she bounced back to her feet. She took Edward’s hand, hauling him up off the couch and to the front of the room. There, she hip-checked Jasper out of the way. “Edward hasn’t had a turn.”

 

“Neither have most of us,” Jasper said.

 

“Oh, no. Let him play,” Edward said, trying to pull away from Bella.

 

She had a remarkably strong grip. “No, come on. I need to know. I need to know what Edward Cullen looks like flailing around to music.”

 

“Uh, apparently you haven’t seen Shall We Dance, then,” Alice said, naming one of his earliest movies.

 

“Aaaaaannnnd you shouldn’t. You absolutely should not,” Edward said, shaking his head at Bella.

 

She smirked, triumphant. “Fine. Then, you’ll have to show me here.”

 

“No, she’s right. This I have to see,” Emmett said. He started up the inevitable chant. “Ed-ward, Ed-ward,” until everyone had joined in.

 

Edward groaned, hanging his head in defeat. “You’re an evil woman,” he said, finally letting Bella lead him in front of the console.

 

She winked. “Well, see? You’ve uncovered two of my fatal flaws. Now we can graduate from buddies to friends.”

  
He shook his head. “Whatever you say, friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Femme Malheureuse, songster, jessypt, barburella and MoH make my docs a wonderful place to be. Tracy is definitely a highlight of my FB group with her picspiration. 
> 
> How are we doing, kids?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the wait. Crazy life is crazy, and this story always throws me for a loop. Onward! I’m already so late for work.

“I’m just saying you owe me, is all.”

 

Edward leaned his head over the edge of the bed in his trailer and looked upside down at Bella. “Explain your thought process here.”

 

“I have information the paps would pay top dollar for. Edward Cullen--suave, graceful, debonair Edward Cullen--looks like a Tumblr cat when he dances.”

 

“What the fuck is a Tumblr cat?”

 

“Haven’t you ever seen cats on Tumblr? Where they’re doing that cat thing where they flip flop all over themselves?”

 

Edward frowned at her. “I didn’t flip flop all over myself.”

 

“Ah, I was there. I beg to differ.” She made a flailing motion and cackled at him.

 

“First of all, I can dance.” Edward scoffed and shook his head. “Those games aren’t about dancing. You just...move your body in random, weird ways.”

 

“That is exactly what you did,” Bella said, a note of glee in her tone.

 

“Well, it makes for an amusing story, Swan. Maybe an anecdote in the tabs, but they’re not going to pay top dollar for that information.”

 

She wore a shit-eating grin. She held up her phone wordlessly and pressed play on a video. A video of him dancing at her party several nights before. Edward got up so fast, he nearly fell off the bed. Then, in his haste to get turned around, he got tangled in his own limbs and fell off the bed.

 

Bella guffawed. “Oh, my God. If I’d have been filming that, I’d be a goddamned millionaire.”

 

Edward pushed to his feet and sprung at her. “Give me that phone, Bella.”

 

“Ah, I think not, stud.” Bella danced backward, nimbly avoiding his grabby hands. “You can’t take someone else’s phone.”

 

He lunged again and ended up braced against the wall as she’d hopped up on his bed in the limited space. “I can take their phone if they have extremely embarrassing videos they’re threatening to make public.”

 

She hopped off the bed onto the couch. “I’m not threatening. That’s the point.” She jumped to the booth that surrounded a small dining table. “That’s why you owe me, you dim bulb.”

 

He caught her around the waist just as she was climbing onto the table. She squealed, kicking her legs and sending him off balance. Somehow, he managed to stay upright though they ended up most of the way across the room. She was tucked up against him, her back to his chest, hunched over as she tried to escape his grip.

 

“Give it,” he demanded, trying to get at her hands.

 

“Never!” She held her hand, phone clenched tightly in her fingers, as far away from her body as she could.

 

His arms were longer, of course. He closed a hand over hers. “You’ll rue the day, Swan,” he said, holding her tighter around the waist to keep her still.

 

She giggled and pitched her body so it dragged them both forward.“I know kung fu,” she said, breathless with laughter and exertion. “Don’t make me hurt you, Cullen.”

 

“Take me out of commission again, Swan, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to look like an accident.” He got a hold of her scrambling hand again and pried at her fingers. “I have you right where I want you.”

 

As he said it, they teetered again, and he shot a hand out to catch himself against the wall. It was then that the moment caught up to him. They were both red-faced and breathless. Their position--his hand braced against the wall, his body bent over hers, one arm dragging her back so her hips met his--was damning.

 

He should have let her go. That instant, he should have released her and apologized for his vaguely malicious words. Her giggles had died on her lips, and she’d stilled in his arms. He panted, his breath hot against her hair. His words, if he’d been to speak just then, would have vibrated against her ear. It was a consuming pose, threatening in the right context, and he was suddenly befuddled about how they got here. What was the context in which they’d arrived at this moment?

 

Dizzy, he swayed. This time, she was the one who reached out to catch herself, to catch them both, against the wall. One more step and he could press her right up against the surface, pin her body with his and…

 

He shuddered and took a deep breath. It was a mistake. The sweet, clean scent of her hair, of her, did nothing at all to clear his mind.

 

A thump made both of them jump, and Edward swallowed a groan as her pert ass bumped against him. He let her go and they each took a step back, facing each other. Edward rubbed the back of his neck, and Bella put a hand against her flushed cheek.

 

After a moment, Edward stepped forward again. Her eyes went wide, and she sucked in a sharp breath. He held her gaze until he swooped down to pick up her phone--the source of the spell-breaking thump. She blinked erratically, and he grinned, holding the thing up in front of him.

 

She took a deep breath and set her mouth in a thin line, though the spark in her eyes told him she wasn’t really annoyed. Edward smirked and tilted the phone toward her. “I’m going to trust you with this very sensitive information. Just remember one thing.”

 

“What’s that?” she asked, her fingers brushing his as she took the phone.

 

Edward ducked his head. It would have taken nothing at all to kiss her, as he very much wanted to, but he didn’t. He held her eyes. “I know where you work.” He let his eyes stray to her lips and back up. “Friend.”

 

Her eyes seemed to go unfocused. Edward was smug as he stepped back again, but it didn’t last long. He barely had time to process the fact she’d moved before he found himself on his back on the floor, the breath knocked out of him. She was kneeling beside him, her hand against his chest, pinning him down.

 

“As long as you don’t forget I can take you anywhere, anytime.” Bella leaned in so her hair tickled his face. “Buddy.”

 

She stood again and offered her hand to help him up. Laughing, he took it and let her pull him to his feet. “You’re a dangerous friend to have.”

 

Her grin widened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a petite innocent flower.”

 

“Uh huh. Innocent my ass.”

 

Someone rapped on the door. “Mr. Cullen. You’re wanted on set in fifteen,” one of the production assistants called from outside.

 

“I’ll be there,” Edward said, not looking away from Bella.

 

She moved to sit in his chair and propped her feet up on the desk. “Go work for a living.”

 

“And leave you here alone?”

 

“What?” She gave him an innocent smile. “It’s not like I’m going to hack into your laptop looking for more dirt.”

 

Edward shook his head. “Innocent my ass,” he said again and left.

~0~

By mid-week, the pap pics of Edward and Bella’s night out were widespread, and there was another letter. The edge to the letter was increasingly irritated and its tone more menacing.

 

I'm close, it said. I'm watching.

 

Edward, Bella, Emmett, Jasper, and Gianna sat together to decide their next move.

 

"They're not lying," Bella said. Edward was surprised to hear the slightest tremor in her voice. She'd drawn her legs up onto her chair in a defensive gesture.

 

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice quiet. . He started to reach out to put a comforting hand on her knee but drew back just in time. Emmett was already beginning to give him crap for how much time Bella spent in his trailer.

 

“She was there,” Bella said. “Or he was.”

 

A chill went down Edward’s spine. “What?” Emmett asked, frowning. He’d been there that night too, of course. Watching.

 

“In the letter, she references what I was wearing, including a ‘that ugly as hell bracelet.’” Bella reached over and tapped on a bracelet on the other woman’s wrist. “Whenever we go out, Gianna gives me this to wear.” She shuddered. “In all the pap pictures, I have a jacket on, covering my wrist. None of the pictures I’ve seen from inside the place, the fan pics, are showing the bracelet. That means the person was close enough to see the bracelet for his or herself.”

 

“Crap,” Emmett said, rubbing his jaw.

 

“That’s what we wanted,” Jasper said. “We want them to show up so we can figure out who it is.” He patted Emmett’s shoulder. “You weren’t going to get them on the first night. You knew that.”

 

“Yeah,” Emmett said, but it was easy to see he didn’t like the idea anyone had been that close without his knowing it.

 

Gianna took a shuddering breath. “It really is serious, isn’t it?”

 

“Serious but not necessarily dangerous,” Jasper said. “A lot of celebs have had fans get too close before. They almost never have the forewarning you have now, for one thing. Most times, the fan gets systematically closer to them without writing these kinds of letters. The most that’s come out of it for others is a couple of home break-ins. Scary, of course, but no physical harm done.”

 

Gianna shook and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

 

Edward put a hand to the center of her back. “It’ll be fine.” He looked to Bella. “Are you still okay with this?”

 

She huffed and put on an approximation of a cocky grin. “Yeah, it’s fine. They don’t even know I exist, right? More than likely anyway.” She shrugged and patted Gianna’s knee. “They’re right. You’ll be fine. We all will.”

~0~

“Oh, Jesus Christ.”

 

Edward had taken one step inside the on-set gym and had to step right back out.

 

“You okay, boss?” Emmett asked. His grin said he wasn’t really concerned. He could figure out easily enough what Edward’s problem was. The larger man stepped over to the door, peered in, and stepped back out, whistling. “I see what you mean.”

 

Bella was in there--alone--in workout shorts and a sports top. Every line of her body seemed to shine, as though her skin was highlighted in gold. It was sweat. He knew that. That didn’t seem to matter. She was at the leg lift machine. Edward was very much distracted by that fact. The split second glance he’d gotten kept replaying over and over again in his mind. He shook his head hard, and Emmett laughed at him.

 

“Wow. That bad, huh?” his bodyguard said.

 

Edward scoffed, irritated at the heat in his cheeks. He jerked his head in the opposite direction of the gym, indicating Emmett should follow.

 

“Hey, don’t get all twisted about it,” Emmett said, keeping pace with him. “It’s just funny, that’s all. You said she turned you down preemptively, right? And it’s not like you don’t have other options. Plenty of willing flesh out there for you.”

 

Edward shook his head, leaning up against a wall. “Her flesh is as willing as mine is.” For a second, was distracted by the memory of the lust in her eyes all those times they found themselves too close. “If I kissed her, she’d kiss me back. I’m pretty sure the sex would be of the mind blowing variety.”

 

“Then what’s the problem?”

 

Edward ran his hands through his hair, huffing in frustration. “I’m going to need you to keep a handle on your dude bro right now.”

 

A grin tugged at the corner of Emmett’s mouth. “Okay. Sure.”

 

“She’d hate me in the morning, and that’s just not acceptable.”

 

Emmett’s grin came out full force. “Ah huh. So it is like that. Ha. I told your sister. I told her.”

 

Seeing Edward was less than amused, Emmett cleared his throat and did his best to school his features. “So you like her.”

 

“No,” Edward said sarcastically. “I only let her hang out in my trailer all the time because I think she’s the stalker, and I don’t want to push her over the edge.”

 

Emmett cocked his head, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Edward groaned. “No, Em. There’s no way.”

 

“It would make a bizarre sort of sense, if you think about it. I mean, that would explain why we haven’t found any consistencies in the last three outings.”

 

Since they had firm confirmation that someone was stalking Edward or Gianna, Emmett and his team had been on high alert. When Edward and Bella went to get coffee--Bella still posing as Gianna--they catalogued everyone in the vicinity. So far, except for a couple of PA’s that had already been accounted for, there were no repeats.

 

“It’s not her, Emmett. That doesn’t even make sense.” It did, in a way. Bella would have known about the bracelet, obviously. “No. No, it makes no sense. If she was the stalker, she’d have seen for her own eyes there’s nothing going on between Gianna and I. That’s this person’s big thing, right? That Gianna is using me, isn’t good enough for me. Whatever.”

 

Emmett put his hands up in a placating motion. “You’re right. You’re right. Sorry. I was just thinking out loud, that’s all.” He chuckled, trying to laugh it off. “She’d be a mad genius if she pulled that off, right?”

 

“Right,” Edward said, the word coming out gruff and grumpy.

 

Emmett smacked his upper arm. “Do you have the junior high school boy in check or what? Ready to get back to the gym?”

 

Edward narrowed his eyes. He would bet Emmett wanted to get back to the gym to ask Bella surreptitious questions to prove or disprove his latest theory. Once he got something into his head, it wasn’t going away until he got some sort of resolution.

 

“You go ahead. I have machines at home. I’m not going to go doughy if I wait a few more hours,” Edward said. He didn’t want to be there for many reasons, not the least of which was that he didn’t think he could hold his temper.

  
That and there was a small part of him--tiny, miniscule--that was afraid Emmett’s bizarre theory might be right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hmm.
> 
> Thoughts?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Good morning, cats and kittens!

It was a brutal and frustrating day on set. The director was driving Edward nuts. He kept changing his mind about how he wanted to shoot a particular scene. Normally, Edward was patient with such things. Directors were the gods of the movie set, and he respected the artform. Today, though, he was annoyed.

The scene they kept having to redo was physically taxing. Edward wasn’t a Hollywood beefcake, but he had well-defined muscles. He was in shape. By three o’clock, he was beat.

Edward bit the inside of his cheek when the director changed the angle of the shot for the third time that day. It took most of his waning willpower not to yell at the man. Instead, he trudged to his chair and groped for his phone to distract him from his aching muscles.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Gianna asked, throwing herself down into her chair.

“What’s that?”

She leaned all the way over--the chair set aside for her love interest was between them--so she could whisper. “The organization on this picture leaves something to be desired.”

Edward couldn’t have agreed more, but he also couldn’t resist teasing her. “If there’s an anonymous source in the tabs next week talking about what a hard-to-please diva you are, it wasn’t me, okay?”

Her eyes went wide for a second before she realized he was joking. “I know I haven’t been on as many sets as you, but doesn’t the director usually have his shots planned out before he shoots them? This is a fantastic waste of money.”

“Yes, well. He never has been very good about staying on budget.” He wiped a hand over his eyes. “I’ve been on more miserable sets, believe me. Some of the outdoor shoots are the worst. Horrible weather. Windy conditions. Sudden rain storms. A freak snow storm once. Then you might have the perfect shot ruined by a loud plane or a train whistle?” He shrugged. “There are a lot of frustrations in this business.”

She huffed. “Yeah, no kidding. It’s pretty frustrating thinking this guy or girl with the creepy messages is watching me.”

Just as she said the words, a small team made their way over. They were both engulfed, their makeup retouched, and Gianna’s hair fussed with for the sake of continuity. Edward watched out of the corner of his eyes, sympathetic when he could see Gianna trying not to cringe. He considered each of the makeup team as they bent over him.

Bella had said once the stalker could be someone on the set.

Edward shook that thought away and continued his nonchalant observation of the hair and makeup people. None of them were really looking at him or Gianna. They, too, were tired of having to touch up makeup every half hour or so. Though they’d been friendly this morning, now Edward and Gianna were just a job to them. Get in. Get it done. Get out.

Gianna shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself as soon as they walked away. “Have I mentioned that I can’t stand paranoia? You know what’s especially funny? When I thought about how people would describe me…” She looked at him and blushed. “That sounds pompous, but we all do it, right? Think about interviews and things like that.”

Edward smiled at her, wanting to reassure her. “It’s not pompous to acknowledge that we’re going to be interviewed and people are going to be interviewed about us.”

“Yeah. Well, you know how everyone gets a reputation. So-and-so is a pain in the ass. That guy is nice, but he doesn’t take showers. What’s-her-face is the biggest diva. All that jazz?” She sighed. “I always wanted to be the easy-going one. I wanted them to say, ‘Oh, Gianna? She’s great to work with. Goes with the flow. Everything just slides off her shoulders.’ Now it’s going to be like, ‘That Gigi chick is so vain, she thinks everything is about her.’”

Edward reached across the chair to give her knee a squeeze. “This will pass. And if it’s any consolation, when they ask me what it was like working with the inimitable Gigi, I’ll tell them she makes horrible, no good, very bad days like today bearable.”

Gianna pretended to gasp. “You’d better be careful, Edward. People will think we’re dating.”

“See? You have nothing to worry about. Do you think I’d be okay with this whole charade if I thought you were horrible?”

He was still teasing, but her answer smile was sincere. “I don’t know you very well, Edward Cullen, but yeah--I think you’d do it for anyone who felt as threatened as I did.”

Edward was quiet, surprised by the sincerity of her words and the look in her eyes. She looked at him as though he were some kind of hero. While he was used to that from fans, his costars were often more blasé. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks. He didn’t feel much like a hero. “You don’t regret it?” he asked.

“Regret what?”

“Taking the job. I mean, I want to reiterate, you’re safe. If there was any reason to think you were in danger, Emmett and Jasper would have notified the police by now. But still, the harassment got worse.”

“Yeah.” She sounded rueful. “But you know, I’ve thought about it a lot.” She rolled her eyes. “We said from the get-go that the stalker might be obsessed with either one of us. So who’s to say I wouldn’t be dealing with something like this whether I was on this set or not?

“There you go thinking everything’s about you. Diva.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but she was still smiling. “Yeah, well. It’s a possibility, right?”

“Talking about someone who’s lost touch with reality, I suppose everything is a possibility.” He tried hard not to think about Bella as he said those words. He hated the doubt that whispered in his ear.

“Well, the point is, this could have escalated anyway, even if I’d left the project.” She shivered. “I just hope Jasper and Emmett catch them soon.”

Edward hummed. He hated himself for the next words that came out of his mouth, innocent as they sounded. “Change of subject. How’s working with Bella?”

“Bella? She’s great. She’s a real pro. She comes to watch me a lot.”

“She does?” Edward’s stomach churned.

“Yeah. She says she likes to see if she can pick up any nuance in my performance. She says everyone carries themselves differently.”

“Smart lady, that one,” Edward said. It was a good excuse to watch someone closely.

Stop it.

“So… if I were to ask you in an interview about Bella…” he said, keeping his tone light.

Gianna smirked. “You want me to put a good word in for you? You need me to be your personal PR machine?”

“What?”

“Oh, come on.” Glancing around, Gianna leaned in close again, and Edward unconsciously mirrored her pose. “You want to know what I think? I think part of the reason you don’t mind this charade is that it gives you a chance to spend time with Bella. You like her.” She said the last in a singsong voice.

“You are aware this isn’t an elementary school playground, right?”

Gianna laughed, the sound lighter than Edward had heard from her before. “And you didn’t deny it. You like her. More than want her. You like her.”

Edward sighed. He wasn’t exactly ashamed of the fact. “What’s not to like? Anyway, I asked how you felt about her. This is small talk, kid. Small talk about one of my favorite subjects, sure, but small talk nonetheless.”

“I like Bella,” Gianna said, still looking a touch too amused. “She works really hard. She’s good at what she does, and her ass is amazing.”

Edward nearly choked on the coffee as assistant had brought him while Gianna was talking. “What?”

Gianna giggled again. “Her ass is amazing. Which means, when she’s doing stunts on screen, everyone thinks my ass is amazing.”

“Ah. Well, I can’t argue with that.” At Gianna’s look, Edward shook his head. “I’m not going to deny I have eyes. She’s a beautiful woman, and yes, she has a perfect ass.”

It took some effort, but Gianna tempered her grin. “So what’s the problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re pretend dating already. Why aren’t you really dating?”

“You know, if you’re looking to switch careers from actor to entertainment reporter, there are better ways at going about it.”

“Oh, another evasion. This is fun.”

A PA came up then, rescuing Edward. “We’re ready for you,” he said.

“Back to work, kid,” Edward said, getting to his feet. “That is, unless you want those interviews to talk about how difficult it is to work with you.”

“Uh huh. We’re not done,” she said, wagging a finger, but she let him lead the way back to the set without another word.

~0~

Two days later, Gianna was papped out and about on the studio grounds in costume early in the day. Since the shoot lasted until well into the night, Edward and Bella took the opportunity to use the inevitable pictures to their advantage. They left the studio with Bella wearing a  facsimile of the same costume and caught dinner at a nearby restaurant.  

“This whole charade isn’t going to last much longer you know,” Bella said, falling into step beside Edward. She walked close to his body, shielded by his larger size from most of the patrons.

“I know,” Edward said.

Benjamin had already stopped by to show him the latest blog forums and a few Tumblr posts. There were a few long and strident posts with blurry photographs decorated by red circles and squiggly arrows to call attention to details.

“They can tell the difference between my ass and Gianna’s,” Bella said, sounding amused.

“Yours is much nicer,” Edward said, distracted.

“Ah ha!”

Edward was drawn out of his thoughts by the triumph in her voice. “What?” he asked as she slipped into the booth. He slid in beside her instead of across from her--though he never would have done that in a real relationship. He liked to look at his dates when they were out to dinner. The snuggling could wait until they were home.

“Wow. You don’t even see anything wrong with that, huh? You’ve unabashedly stared at my and Gianna’s ass long enough to make a comparison.”

“Ah.” Edward realized too late what he’d admitted. “It’s not like it’s a secret you’ve got a better ass. I didn’t even have to look. Gianna told me that herself.”

“Oh, I see. So you were just having a friendly discussion about another friend’s ass.”

“Exactly.” He smirked at her. “Besides, I’m a highly analytical person. If the data in question is right in front of me for a significant period of time, I can hardly be blamed for analyzing it.”

“You’re one of those guys, huh? Can’t look a woman in the eyes, and it’s all her fault. Mmmhmm.”

“I think your understanding of anatomy needs a bit of work there, good buddy. If it’s your backside I’m looking at, I really can’t look you in the eyes.”

“But you don’t have to stare at my ass.”

“I never said I was staring at it. I said it’s been in front of me, and I’m not sure if you’ve actually seen the costume you’re wearing.”

Bella glanced down. “It’s not the most revealing costume in the world.”

“Revealing no, but the pants are made to hug your ass. It’s not like Gianna has a bad ass by any stretch of the imagination. You know those costumes are made to look good.”

“Yes, of course. Heaven forbid women’s costumes be made to look like she can kick some serious ass. You have to accentuate the breasts and butt.”

Edward held a hand up, chuckling. “Well, that’s a whole other kettle of fish now, isn’t it? It wasn’t my decision.”

“Right. You’re just analyzing and collating. You innocent flower. I’m going to add that tidbit to my collection for my tell-all. Edward Cullen is a butt man.”

Edward sighed. “Well, that can’t be too much of a surprise. I do appreciate a good butt. I’ll admit it.” Before he could think better of it, he reached out to push her hair back out of her eyes. “I also have a thing for cute ears,” he said, giving hers a tug.

She flushed and pushed her hair back into her face. She gave an almost nervous-sounding laugh. “Careful, stud. Gianna definitely doesn’t have these obnoxiously big ears.”

“I like your ears.”

She ducked her head but smiled at him. “Yeah, I caught that. But I’m still supposed to be Gianna right now. Gianna with her dainty little ears.”

He slipped his hand under hair and flicked at her earlobes. She squeaked and batted his hands away, but she was laughing. “I like your ears,” he said again.

“And my ass, apparently.”

“You’re aesthetically pleasing, Swan, and I have eyes. If it helps, I also like a lot of non-physical things about you.”

“Oh, well that’s a relief.”

“Yeah, I mean, once you get past that abrasive personality and shrill voice.”

She pinched his side, and he strangled a yelp. They ‘fought,’ both of them poking at each other like children and laughing. He caught her jabby fingers in his hands and held tightly. When his eyes met hers, his smile faltered.

They were too close. That was to be expected, of course. They were acting the part of a maybe-possibly-definitely couple, trying to draw their stalker friend out of the woodwork again. But Edward forgot about all that in the last few minutes. He couldn’t remember when it had become so easy to touch her. The way they lingered--him holding her hand and her not pulling away--was intimate, and it  wasn’t an act.

He released his hold, and she ducked back into the corner of the booth when a waiter finally came by to take their order. The woman hurried away, and Edward turned his attention back to Bella.

“So, like I was saying, we’re not going to be able to keep this up for much longer,” she said.

Edward blinked, trying to remember what they’d been talking about. Oh, right. There were conspiracy theories about her ass.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Bella tapped her finger on the table. “There haven’t been any new leads in weeks. And no new letters.” She shook her head. “It’s weird. It’s like, as soon as we really tightened up a plan, they backed off.”

“Almost like they knew,” Edward said, that horrible, cloying sense of doubt tugging at him again.

“Yeah.” Bella, oblivious to his line of thought, leaned her elbows on the table.

“Well, I’m sure Emmett and Jasper have other ideas.” Edward knew Emmett had been checking into Bella on his own. Surely by now his bodyguard would have dug something up if it existed.

“Speaking of Jasper, has he told you about the plan for tomorrow night?”

Edward glanced at her, taken off guard. “There’s a plan?”

“If you don’t have anything else going on, Jasper told me Alice wants to host another get together. Gianna's invited because Jasper’s on duty that night. I guess they figured if they couldn’t have alone time, they might as well make it a party.”

“You’re inviting me to someone else’s party?”

Bella rolled her eyes. “They were going to invite you anyway, you nincompoop. Hence why I asked if Jasper had already talked to you.”

“Mmhmm. So it’s not a diabolical scheme on your part to spend more time with me?”

“Good God.” Bella groaned and shook her head. “We’ve got to do something about your ego. Maybe I will release those dancing videos. That would take you down a notch or twelve.”

“Ah, I see the way it is now. You’re going to get me liquored up and get me to make an even bigger fool of myself. Setting up a pattern, right?” He wagged his finger in her face. “I’m on to you.”

She laughed. “Jasper doesn’t have that game.” She tilted her head. “I may be forced to kick your ass in Super Smash Brothers though.”

“Highly unlikely. I was stuck on a set once where there was nothing for miles in either direction, and it was way too fucking hot to go outside. You know what I did? I played Super Smash Brothers. For hours. You challenge me to that game, and I will not be held responsible for the ass kicking that follows.”

“So violent.”

“You started it.”

“Okay, okay. So let’s add that to the list of Edward Cullen facts.” Bella pretended to write on a notepad. “Ass man. Has mad Super Smash Brothers skills. Can’t dance. Got it.”

“I already told you, I can dance. I’m just not good at flailing artfully to poppy nonsense.”

“Well, the next time there’s a grand ball to attend, I’ll make sure to get you an invitation.”

  
Bella had been looking at him, but abruptly her eyes cut to the side, and then she ducked against his shoulder. He turned to find a fan approaching, her eyes wide and nervous.

“Hi,” the fan squeaked. “I, um. Midnight Games is kind of my favorite movie, and I… I mean, I have no camera. Can I… autograph?” the girl babbled, looking at Bella’s bent head.

Edward rubbed Bella’s shoulder and gave the fan a tight smile. “She’s a little shy,” he said. The girl was young enough--maybe eleven--that he didn’t want to disappoint her. “Here.” He took the book she’d offered--it was indeed a well-worn copy of Midnight Games - and placed it on the table where Bella could see it easily. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” he asked, trying to distract her eyes away from Bella.

“Heidi.”

“What a pretty name.” He turned and ducked his head to whisper the catchphrase of Midnight Games in her ear. Bella obediently scribbled the words and signed Gianna’s name.

It wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but it was eerily similar to Gianna’s actual signature, Edward noted. His stomach churned again.

“Thank you so much,” the girl gushed, getting her book back. She looked over her shoulder and leaned in close to Edward. “My mom really thinks you’re hot,” she said.

Edward had to smother a laugh, especially when he felt Bella snort against his side. He leaned to the side. Sure enough, the girl’s mother was trying very hard not to look like she wasn’t fangirling out. He gave her a wave, and was rewarded by a deep red blush and a grin.

The waiter came back then, and Edward glanced between him and the girl. “We have to get back to the studio. Can we get this to go?” To Heidi, he offered a hand. “Nice to meet you, Heidi. Tell your mother hello for me.”

He pulled Bella to her feet, tucking her against his side. He told the waiter he’d send someone for their food, slipped him a bill large enough to cover the meal and a generous tip, and headed out the door.

He tried not to think about what it might mean that Bella knew how to approximate Gianna’s signature name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:*whistles innocently*


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have a statistics test today. WISH ME LUCK. Onward.

“You look disgruntled, good buddy.”

Bella’s voice drew Edward out of his moody thoughts. She was right; he was irritated, but when he saw her, he smiled. She was sitting on the stoop of his trailer, sipping a covered cup of coffee.

“Good friend,” he said. “You know, next time you take off for two days, you should really warn me.”

“Aww.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Did someone miss me?”

He’d reached the trailer by then and stood in front of her so she was looking up at him. Rather than answer from that respectful distance, he braced his arm on the railing and leaned in close. “I always miss you,” he said, his voice soft enough that she stretched up closer to hear him. It brought their faces close together. Too close. She tilted her head up and froze. His eyes darted to her lips.

It would take nothing to close the distance between them, and it would be sweet relief to kiss her. She knew it, too. He heard her quick intake of breath, and when he raised his eyes back to hers, he could see she looked as dazed as he felt. “Of course I missed you,” he said, his voice gravelly.

He reached out, snatched the cup of coffee out of her hands, and took a huge step backward. “No one else brings me coffee,” he said, keeping his voice serene, pretending that his head wasn’t spinning.

She started, and the shocked expression on her face made him laugh. She narrowed her eyes. “Hey,” she protested several beats too late. She stood and darted at him, her hand out to retrieve her coffee. “That’s mine.”

He danced out of reach. “No takie backsies. It’s not my fault if you give your coffee away before you’re done with it.”

“You’re so full of shit, Cullen.” She made another grab which he dodged neatly. “There are like twenty people on this set who would get you coffee, including your personal assistant. That’s his primary job function. And even if you couldn’t find a single one of those twenty people, you could do what all we unimportant people do. Walk your happy ass over to craft service and get whatever you want to drink. That’s where I got my drink.” She made a final lurch for her coffee which he again dodged.

“Well, don’t be lazy, bucko. If you want coffee, stop bitching at me and start walking. Craft service isn’t that far.” He leaned against his trailer and took a patronizing sip of her coffee.

And spit out again. “Ugh,” he said, coughing because some of it had gone down the wrong tube. “That’s not coffee.”

Bella smirked. “This is the second time you’ve tried to spit up all over me. It’s a nasty habit, Cullen. Very unattractive. They have a special section in one of the tabloids of celebs with disgusting habits. You can go up with the picture of Jennifer Lawrence picking her nose.”

He thrust her cup back at her, wanting the horrible stuff away from him. “That’s fucking foul. What the hell was that?”

“Ah, who the hell knows,” she said with a shrug, sniffing it. “It’s green. I got it in a coffee cup so I wouldn’t have to look at it. It’s some cleansing, weight loss promoting smoothie with a bunch of nasty ingredients. The others were raving about it, and I got curious. A couple of weeks of this stuff encourages natural fat burning or something.”

“Inducing vomiting is not a healthy way to lose weight.” He took her arm and guided her into a turn.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to find this weight you’re trying to get rid of.”

She scoffed. “You’re just trying to stare at my ass again.”

“Quiet, you. I’m almost done with my examination.” He led her back to face him and shook his head. “Nope. About the only excess fatty storage I can find is at the breast and butt level. I’m going to have to say, in my professional opinion, weight loss from those areas isn’t advised.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “You’re shameless, stud. Such a damn pervert.”

“In all seriousness, you shouldn’t be endangering your health drinking crap like that. I’m really concerned for you. As a friend.”

“Eh.” She shrugged. “I was curious, that’s all. I’m telling you it’s spreading like wildfire through the crew. I wouldn’t want to be left out.”

“Don’t be a follower, Swan.” He bumped her under her chin. “Or at least hold out for something that tastes and/or feels good.”

He craned his neck, looking around. As she’d pointed out, there were plenty of people milling around he could send on an errand, including his personal assistant. He beckoned the man over. “Hey, man. My demanding friend here is interested in getting in on local crazes. How about you scare us up a couple of pumpkin spice lattes? Not the generic kind. I’m talking Starbucks here. We want the full experience.”

“Should I pick up some Uggs then?” the man asked.

Edward scoffed. “Just the lattes for now. We’re not that cool.”

Bella shook her head, following him inside the trailer. He stopped her at the door, his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Stalky McStalkersons. Did I say you could come in?”

She fixed him with a cool expression. “No, but you did order me a latte.”

“Oh. Damn.” He sighed dramatically and stepped aside, holding the door open for her. “There I go again, shooting myself in the foot, subjecting myself to your company.”

“You do suffer, don’t you?”

“Frequently.” Edward sat down in his recliner and slumped down, rubbing his eyes. “Actually, Bella, I don’t know if I’m going to be good company today. These jackasses changed the script again, and I have ten new pages to memorize. Well, they’re not a hundred percent new, which is almost worse. They’re so similar to the original script it’s going to throw me, and we shoot this scene tomorrow evening. That’s why I’m here today even though they’re shooting the leading man and his posse. Gianna and I had to go over the new choreography.”

“Walking and talking. That might take more talent than you possess, hoss.” Bella was wandering aimlessly around his trailer as he spoke.

Edward scoffed. “Funny. Except it’s not walking. It’s menacing.”

“Menacing?”

He raised his head. “You know. Threatening dialogue and action. I’m not the superhero. I’m the bad guy, remember?”

“Good luck pulling that off, you marshmallow.”

“Hey, I’m menacing. I menaced you the day we met. I’m a cruel bastard who throws young women down stairs, among other things. Are you saying you don’t find me threatening at all?”

She grinned at him. “Not even a little bit, but I might be biased. No one could be scared of you if they’ve seen your dance moves.” She pretended to flail, her grin turning wicked.

Edward held her gaze, the wheels turning in his head. He breathed in through his nose, and when he breathed out again, he let the persona he’d been immersed in these last few weeks come to the surface. His character was a sadistic, evil prick. There was ice and malice in his gaze, and he could see the moment Bella saw the monster staring her down. Her body went rigid, frozen like a deer in headlights.

His eyes hard on hers, he rose slowly from his chair. “Well, well, well,” he said, the beginning of the monologue he’d been practicing all morning. “Here you are, and without your powers too. Just a silly little girl messing with things you can’t possibly comprehend.”

He took measured steps toward her, and saw the conflict in her eyes. Like she wanted to be amused. Like she wanted to brush him off, but he unnerved her. As he approached, she stepped backward, away from him, but he reached out, quick as lightning. He took her by the wrist and spun her, his arm thrown around her chest as he brought her back against him.

“Tell me something, little girl.” He used his head to force hers to the side, his lips against her ear as he spoke. Her body jolted, but his hold was tight, pinning her fighting arm to her side. “I’m the maniac, right?” He gritted his teeth. “So why do you insist on pissing me off?”

Bella, of course, didn’t know the dialogue. She didn’t fill the small space he left, hearing Gianna’s voice in his head. When he loosened his hold, she took the same steps Gianna would have, twisting to the side to evade him. He caught her with ease.

“Just where do you think you’re going, little girl?” He spun Bella, and pushed her up against the wall. His body swallowed the space between them, coming up hard against hers. He threw his arm across her chest, elbow coming up under her neck forcing her head back. Her eyes were wide and riveted when they met his. With his free hand, he took her chin in a rough grasp. He could feel the vibration of the noise she made at the back of her throat. “Seven months you’ve been a pain in my ass, and now you just want to run out on me. I think not.”

He leaned in, nose to nose with her. “I have you now. And you’re going to pay.”

That should have been the end of the game. Edward knew without a doubt he’d gotten carried away, swept up in the dialogue and the character. He should have stepped back immediately, smirked, and gloated. Not menacing--his ass. He could see the fright in her eyes, the vulnerability.

He should have stepped away, but the power of the moment had him. The air was charged, heavy, and every line of her body was lined up against his. He knew he hadn’t hurt her, would never hurt her, and though there was fear in her eyes, there was also excitement. It was the same excitement that gripped him, making it impossible to stp back, away from her. He couldn’t let her go. 

He wanted to possess her. Not like his character would. Not to own her or conquer her. He wanted to be part of her. He wanted her so much he couldn’t breathe or think.

Silence stretched on, and when his lungs burned, he tried to get ahold of himself. He pushed back just enough, not ready to let her go yet, but preparing to. “Bella,” he said, his voice raw. “I don’t know what--”

She didn’t let him finish. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him down toward her. She was as rough with him as he’d been with her just a moment before. She kissed him. She kissed him hard, letting out a desperate groan as she did. His mouth responded before his brain could catch up. He kissed her back, lips moving with hers. She pressed him forward and he pressed her back, devouring. 

Oh, this was definitely not the way the script went.

Bella shoved, and Edward stumbled backward. Now, she was the one in total control. Her fingers tangled in his shirt, her grip tight. She walked forward, forcing him to step backward. It was disconcerting, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t care about anything except the way her lips felt against his.

Edward felt the backs of his legs hit something solid--the couch--and he sat heavily. She was on him in an instant, straddling his lap, continuing her attack on his mouth. His hands came up and hovered, unsure of their role. Without breaking their kiss, she took his right hand and guided it to her breast.

That was all he needed to know. He let his other hand come around her waist, holding her. This was everything he’d wanted since he first laid eyes on her, and she was perfect in his arms. His every sense was inundated. The feel of her, the taste of her tongue, the scent of her skin. Everything he knew was her.

The door of his trailer opened. “Hey, boss. I got your-- Ahh!”

They all gasped--Edward, Bella, and his hapless assistant. There was a crash and splash as pumpkin spice latte tumbled to the floor. Bella’s body jolted, and Edward instinctively tightened his arms around her.

“Shit. Fuck,” said the assistant. “I’m sorry. I-- I’ll-- I’ll get you another,” he said, and he was out the door in the next heartbeat, leaving them in an unnatural silence.

After the longest three seconds of Edward’s life, Bella sighed. To his surprise, rather than get off him, she leaned forward, her forehead against his. “Well, hell.”

Tentatively, he let his hand rest on the bare skin of her lower back, under her shirt. “Um. Yeah,” he said helpfully.

She raised her head and fixed him with a mock-stern glare. “I told you you weren’t menacing. I was supposed to feel threatened; not turned on.”

For a second, Edward stared at her. His lips quirked up and down, up and down, because he had no idea how to read this situation or this crazy woman. In the end, he giggled. He straight out giggled, and then he groaned because the way she was wiggling on his lap wasn’t doing him any favors.

She cleared her throat and slid backward, off his lap and onto her feet. “This place smells like pumpkin now,” she said, turning and heading into his bathroom. She came out a moment later with a handful of paper towels.

Edward swallowed hard, trying to drag his cloudy mind back to the present. “You don’t have to do that,” he said, going to join her as she knelt by the mess.

She glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “No, I suppose I don’t. But I’m doing it anyway.”

He huffed, helping her mop up the mess. The air between them had changed again. It was electrified and superheated, and damn if he could think about anything else but taking her in his arms again. He was afraid to look at her, because if he did, his will would snap. 

A rap on the door right by their heads made them both jump a mile high. “Hey, Edward. Are you in there? You want to run lines?”

Edward closed his eyes briefly and got to his feet. He looked to Bella apologetically. She gave him a small, almost bashful smile and shrugged. He opened the door.

“Oh, hey, Bella,” Gianna said, her eyes darting between them. Edward wondered what they looked like. Bella’s cheeks were a hectic kind of red, her eyes bright, and her hair disheveled. He didn’t imagine he looked much better. “I could come back.”

“Naw. No,” Bella said, looking around as though she’d forgotten something. “I was just hanging out. I’ll let you two get to work.”

“Are you sure?” Gianna asked. She looked amused.

“Yeah. Edward was just telling me you got new pages.”

Gianna huffed. “Oh, I know, right? Contrary to popular, or at least this asshole director’s belief, I’m not a robot. Could we not have the weekend to memorize this crap?”

“I heard he’s a bit difficult like that,” Bella said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “I’ll get out of your way so you can work.”

“You really don’t have to go,” Gianna said. “You could help us, if you want.”

“Nah. Not my area, you know? I’ll stick to the hijinks. You get all the paperwork.” She winked.

“Okay. Party is still on for this weekend, right?”

“As far as I know. It’s Alice’s shindig, not mine, but yeah.”

“I need a good drink.”

“That much I can promise you,” Bella said with a grin. “Anyway. Good luck.” She looked to Edward, and he could swear her cheeks flushed. “I’ll see you around.”

Then she was gone, leaving Edward distracted and confused. Gianna cackled. “What?” he said.

She gave him an innocent look. “I said nothing.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Why the hell does it smell like pumpkins and coffee in here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: One day, I’ll be able to understand passive voice. Today is not that day. Poor Femme Malheurese. Many thanks to her and songster for hammering my sentences into shape. Packy, MoH, and barburella for catching the rest and for general, hilarious commentary. I love these girls so much.
> 
> Okay. I have one more hour of work before I head off to take this test. How are you guys doing?


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oye. Took my brain a hot minute to work this chapter out. :) Do me a favor. Send me some good vibes for this and Curses and Crossroads, yeah? They’re not flowing so much as stuttering.

Edward’s phone rang at 7:30 the next morning. He thrashed, groping for his phone. Was it on the nightstand, or had he fallen asleep scrolling through fanfic from one of his first big movies? It was a pastime of his. His curiosity had been piqued when he realized much of the fanfic paired him with the character who had been the father figure to his orphaned character. 

Finding his phone, Edward connected the call. “‘Lo?”

“I asked you to warn me if you made a deviation in the plans,” Benjamin said, already in mid-conversation. “I’m your publicist. You’re supposed to keep me in the loop about things I might have to spin.”

Edward blinked. He rubbed his eyes. He waited a few seconds to see if he would wake up. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, Edward. It’s not your forte.”

“It’s 7:30 in the morning, and my call time isn’t until eleven today. I’m mostly asleep. Can you please tell me what the hell you’re talking about?”

Benjamin grunted. “Congratulations on your three hundredth instance of being a blind item.” Edward heard clicking, as if Benjamin was tapping on a computer keyboard. “Let’s see. ‘This A-List Celeb, who has recently been seen, oh-my-god everywhere, with another A-List Celeb/America’s Sweetheart, may already have a wandering eye. Sources say he’s more than a little friendly with one of the crew members on the same film he and his squeeze have been working on the last month and a half. Scandalous. I guess he’s taking his role as the bad boy all the way this time.’”

“Dammit,” Edward said, banging his head back on his pillow. He ran a hand over his eyes. “Let me wake up a bit. I’ll call you back.”

“Fine. I need to take this call anyway. Guaranteed it’s Tia. You know it’s not going to be so playful when they start talking about how she couldn’t even keep you for a month.”

Edward had to stop himself from throwing his phone across the room. It wasn’t exactly unexpected after his assistant had seen what they were doing in his trailer. He trusted it wasn't him who'd gone to the paps, but it was just plain stupid to believe he hadn’t told someone. That kind of gossip--verified action--spread like wildfire.

Having lived through similar episodes, Edward wasn’t upset about the blind item. Even Gianna could be placated--if she was going to survive in this business, she needed to have a thick skin. Blind items were frequent, and they were usually so far off base, they were hilarious.

On occasion, one hit a little too close to the mark. But even that wasn’t what had him frustrated. This blind item was about Bella, and it was everything she’d said from minute one she wanted to avoid. She’d been more than clear about why she refused to succumb to his charms why she refused to even consider dating him.

That was the other reason Edward was tired. He’d tossed and turned all night, replaying Bella’s kiss and, despite his self-annoyance, over analyzing every one of their interactions. The physical attraction between them was undeniable. Edward knew how to read body language. Bella was as affected by him as he was by her.

He'd come to the conclusion the previous night that they'd both been full of shit from day one. She'd rejected him and then turned around and dated him anyway. Oh, sure, they'd pretended they were only friends, but they were friends who were attracted to each other? Wasn't that the technical definition of dating? Friendship was, after all, a marker of compatibility.

Edward wasn't the type who dated for the specific purpose of getting into a relationship. If he found a woman attractive, he asked her out to see what would happen. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes sex happened. Occasionally, when attraction sparked into interest, it would turn into a relationship.

Edward didn’t think it was delusional to assume she liked him and desired him. If there was a possibility Bella could be swayed, this gossip might pull her in the other direction.

What he wanted was to stop playing these games. The hell of it was, the tabs had gotten it right. Edward Cullen was head over heels, swept off his feet, ready to hop off People’s Most Eligible Bachelors list. They just had the wrong woman. If only they’d had one more day, maybe two, before the tabs were all over them, it was possible something would have happened.

More awake now, Edward picked up his phone again. He called not Benjamin but Bella.

“Edward?” She sounded wary. Edward had considered calling her the night before to test the waters. She’d left the set before he could find her again, and he figured she needed space.

Or maybe he was being too dramatic about the whole thing. He’d been accused of being a dramatic asshole more than once in his life. “Hey, buddy,” he said, keeping things light.

She huffed, but she played along. “What’s up, good friend?”

“Are you on set?” he asked, hearing commotion in the background.

“Yeah,” she said around a yawn. “Early practice day. You know Alec and I have that big stunt coming up next week. Heaven forbid we have an action movie where there’s not a fight on top of a moving train.”

Edward’s heart skipped a beat. Those stunts were often filmed on actual moving trains. Granted, the trains didn’t move as fast as they appeared on the screen, but he recalled Sean Connery had once been told the train he was filming on wasn’t going as fast as it had been--dangerously fast. He cleared his throat, shaking that thought away. “Quit your whining, Swan. If we did our fights like sane people, you’d be out of a job.”

“Naw. I’d still have work. You actors are delicate, remember? Even a fight on a stable surface requires my expertise.” She clucked her tongue. “Anyway, why is your lazy ass calling me? You probably haven’t even rolled out of bed yet.”

He sighed. “I wanted to give you a heads up. Someone with a big mouth is quick on the uptake. We’re a blind item.”

“Yeah,” she said, her tone wry. “I already caught some flack for that.”

“Fuck, I--”

To his surprise, she laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal.”

“It isn’t?”

“Naw. Blind items were invented so reporters can say whatever they want without having to be even a little bit accurate or truthful. You think you’re the only actor I’ve ever been friends with? Everyone on this set knows I’ve been hanging out in your trailer. They’ve been razzing me about it for weeks. It was bound to leak to the paps sooner than later.”

“That’s true.” Edward sat up, putting his feet on the floor. “Okay, well, I just wanted to make sure you heard it from me as soon as I knew. I should have known better than to think anyone could catch you with your pants down.”

“Oooo, is that what you were hoping for? In your dreams, stud.”

He chuckled. “I’ve got to go get ready. I’m sure Emmett and Jasper will want to revisit our plan.”

“Sounds like fun. See you soon.”

When he hung up the phone, Edward couldn’t help but glare at it for a few minutes. Once again, he found himself replaying Bella’s words.

You think you’re the only actor I’ve ever been friends with?

She wasn’t talking about the actors she counted among her exes. She’d been a blind item before. The question was, had she been a blind item because she’d gotten as close to someone else as she had to him the morning before?

It really hadn’t occurred to Edward that they weren’t on the same page. She was attracted to him; he still had no doubt about that. She liked him as a friend, but maybe she wasn’t feeling that same pull he was. What he wanted was more than attraction. Sure, if she gave him the green light, he’d have her dress hiked up and her panties shoved down in a heartbeat. He could do only physical. If she asked, he would gladly call in sick and spend the day devouring her without uttering a single word. 

But he wanted her. Her words, her smile, her humor. Her time. He just wanted more of her. He wanted what she’d told him she wouldn’t give.

“Jackass,” he muttered at his reflection when he finally convinced himself to get up and face the day.

Edward liked to think he kept a firm grip on reality even though his life was often surreal. In real life, the happily ever after wasn’t a guarantee even when there'd been a fuckton of foreshadowing.

~0~

By the time Edward got out of the shower, Emmett was in his house. Pacing. And yelling at someone on the phone.

Edward let out a groan and sat heavily on the edge of his bed. “Now what?” he asked when Emmett disconnected the call. 

Emmett raised an eyebrow. “Is there something else going on?”

“Something other than what?” Edward said, having reached his limit of things he had patience for before eight in the morning. 

“There’s another letter. Graphic threats. Intimate knowledge. He's accusing Gianna of spreading some kind of gossip. Something about you being a womanizer.”

Edward made a face. “In other words, they read the blind item.”

“What blind item?”

~0~

In another hour, everyone was gathered in Edward’s trailer--Edward, Bella, Gianna, Emmett, and Jasper. 

“Our plan failed,” Emmett said. “Or it worked too well. Either way, we didn’t draw this bastard out into the open like we wanted with all the sneaking around you two did.” He gestured at Edward and Bella. “They bypassed stalking you off set.” He looked as grim as Edward had ever seen him. “They’re definitely on set.”

Edward had already heard this news, but it still sent a chill down his spine. Gianna and Bella both crossed their arms. Gianna huddled, drawing her legs up on the couch against her chest.

“I’m sorry, Gianna,” Jasper said. Anger was flowing off him in waves, but it wasn’t directed at any of them. “Whoever it was was in your trailer. Not this morning. The blind item broke at around four this morning. There weren’t many people on the set at that time, and I reviewed the security cameras. No one came near your trailer until your assistant at seven. She’s the one who found the threat.”

The note had been stuck to Gianna’s bed with a knife. A nasty looking one. Emmett had told Edward privately that this kind of behavior would only escalate. They were lucky there hadn’t been bodily fluid at best, a dead animal at worst.

Edward shuddered again.

“It’s new information, and that’s a good thing,” Emmett said. “I mean, the fact it would have been better if it had never gotten to this point is a given. As things are, the more knowledge we have, the easier it’s going to be to catch this asshole.”

“What knowledge are we talking about here?” Bella said, her voice tight. 

“Well, the note was placed here before the blind item. That means not only does this person have access to the set, but they also had to have been among those who heard the rumor. So it’s a trail, right?” He nodded at Edward. “We find out who your assistant told and go from there.”

“But that also means it’s someone we know. I mean, someone who's been close to us.” Gianna swallowed hard, her voice barely audible. “To me.”

Emmett and Jasper glanced at each other. Jasper went to squat in front of Gianna. He put a hand to her knee. “Look, this level of threat is enough to bring the police in.” He hesitated. “But I want you to hear me out, okay? No one is going to blame you whatever you choose. Just make sure you understand all your options. If you bring the police in now, this asshole likely crawls back into the hole they came from. Now, that might work out all right. It's more likely than not that this person isn't a pro. The police might find some evidence we can't. They can launch an investigation bigger than anything we could pull off. They'd do it, too. They'd do it for you.” 

“Oh, there's a but coming,” Edward muttered. “It's the buts that get you.”

“But, it'll be very public,” Emmett said. “And if this person has been careful, they might change up their game. Become unpredictable.”

“What are you saying?” Gianna asked.

“You want to use her as bait,” Edward said, incredulous. 

Jasper’s eyes never left Gianna’s. It seemed like his steady gaze was the only thing keeping her from shrinking. “Under controlled circumstances. After we've narrowed down a list of people who heard the rumor about Edward and Bella.”

“This is crazy,” Edward said. “You can't ask her to do that.”

“I could do it,” Bella said.

Edward’s head snapped to her. “What? No.”

“It’s what I’ve been doing the last month and a half, isn’t it?” Bella said, giving him a wry look. “Being bait?”

Emmett shook his head. “That works out in the open where all the paps are going to get is a grainy shot. How could that possibly work on set, though? You can’t take Gianna’s place to do her job.”

“You need controlled conditions, right?” Bella said. Edward thought she was blushing. “Aren’t you supposed to film the love scenes tomorrow? It’s a closed set. Limited people. Gianna could go in, and I could come out if you want to set something up.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what, but you could do it.”

Jasper straightened up, his expression skeptical. “I’m not sure what good that would do regardless. The crew knows what you’re doing.”

“No, they don’t.” A small smirk played at Bella’s lips. “I never told anyone what I was doing. They know Edward and I are friends, but they think it’s Gianna in all those pictures. They talk about it all the time.” She grimaced. “They think she’s going to get me fired after yesterday.”

Her eyes met Edward’s for a beat, and he thought she looked almost shy. But the moment passed too quickly before she looked at Gianna. “It doesn’t even have to be part of some elaborate plot. The more it’s me and not you, the safer you are. Not for nothing, but I have martial arts and self-defense training. If someone was waiting in your trailer, and it was me going in instead of you, I could defend myself.” She looked to Emmett and Jasper. “Assuming I had back up.”

“Regardless, I’ll be within reach at all times,” Jasper said to Gianna.

She huffed and looked to Bella, shaking her head. “I can’t ask you to put yourself in harm’s way. You’ve done too much already.”

Bella smiled. “I haven’t done anything but go get coffee with this punk a few times.” She gestured at Edward.

As uncomfortable as he was at the idea of Bella being in danger, Edward couldn’t help but appreciate what she was offering. Bella had been dragged into their drama through no fault of her own. Edward knew better than to think Bella cared about the money Gianna would no doubt offer her if she did something like this. She wanted the other woman to be safe; that was all.

“But she’s right. You’re not in security,” Emmett said. “It’s too much to ask of you.”

“I’m professionally trained,” Bella said, sitting up taller. 

Emmett grinned. “Yeah. You know, you’d be damn good in private security, come to think about it.”

“Okay,” Jasper said, getting them back on track. “So there’s that possibility. Bella will help us keep you safe while we formulate a plan. It’s an option. This is up to you, Gianna. Even now, I don’t think you’ve ever been in any real danger. I’ve been with you, right?”

“You were with Alice for a while yesterday,” Gianna said, though there wasn’t any anger or accusation in her tone.

“Right, but Peter was with you while I was with Alice. Peter’s every bit as good as I am.” He grimaced. “Though that might not be something you want to hear given this.”

She sighed. “No. You’re right. This happened while I was away, so I guess that means that this person couldn’t get close enough.” She shuddered. “Not yet, anyway.”

“They’re not going to get close to you,” Emmett said. “I know it doesn’t look like we’re on top of this, but as far as your personal safety is concerned, we’ve still got this.”

“I believe you,” Gianna said. The skin around her eyes tightened. “I do trust you. I don’t want you to think I don’t, but I can’t handle this. I can’t do my job while I’m thinking everyone around me is a suspect.” She chafed her arms, looking down at her feet. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Edward said, going to squeeze her shoulder. “It’s a good idea. Notifying the police means we notify security on set. It’s like Emmett said: they can run a larger investigation than we could manage.”

She sighed. “A production that will definitely make the papers.”

Edward had to work to keep the grimace off his face. Between the romance the paps had already set up, the blind item, and now this, media attention was going to be at an all- time high for both of them.

“At least you can get out of the limelight before the storm hits,” Emmett said, patting Bella’s back. “We can drop the charade.”

Edward’s stomach twisted a new direction.

It shouldn’t have mattered given that he knew damn well increased security for Gianna meant increased security for him. The whole story would come out, and the police would know that the real object of this asshole’s obsession was Edward. He knew he should have been more concerned with who on set could be behind this. How close had they gotten. His assistant was a definite suspect; this had all started with him, though he knew the truth. Would he accuse Gianna of spreading rumors when he’d seen Edward and Bella with his own eyes? 

Hell, it could still be Bella. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Despite all those pressing concerns--really, how quickly could Emmett stop a maniac with a knife?--a different, just as dismaying, thought leapt to the forefront of Edward’s thoughts. 

Was this the end of his time with Bella? She wouldn’t want to be a part of the circus that his life was about to become. She was already too involved. Too many people on this set knew she’d been in Edward’s trailer. Kissing him. Aggressively. If she didn’t want to move forward with him, now was the perfect time to move back.

But before he could talk to her, everything got complicated. Security on set was notified. Then the police. Too many people wanted to talk to Edward and Bella. Separately. Production stopped. 

It was ages before Edward could go home, and by then, Bella had left long before. Production was halted for the weekend. Benjamin took up another hour of his time drafting a press release and discussing what to do about the Bella/Gianna situation.

Since it was well known Edward’s bodyguard was his brother, Edward and Benjamin crafted a statement assuring the public he was unworried and in good hands. He expressed his displeasure that anyone calling themselves a fan of his would dare to target a woman whom he admired and added that if they truly respected him, they would respect his coworkers.

As for possible rumors about his romantic relationship with Gianna or the mystery woman he may or may not have been caught with, Benjamin’s office had been instructed not to comment. At least not until Edward could talk to the mystery woman face to face.

After that, Edward fielded calls from his parents and his sister, all of whom had heard the news. They were frantic and frightened for him. When they calmed down, they were angry they had to hear second hand--as if he’d had time to make a phone call. 

Finally, the phone stopped ringing, and Edward’s house was quiet. He sat by himself on the sofa, stiff drink in hand, the icy glass pressed to his forehead to ward off his pounding headache. After agonizing way too much--drama king much, Edward--he had finally sent Bella a simple text.

**_Sorry about all this. Have you heard if the party is still on?_ **

“Coward,” he muttered to himself.

It was fifteen long-as-hell minutes before she responded.

**As far as I know. God knows we could all use a drink. See you tomorrow, stud.**

Edward couldn’t fight his grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Many thanks to MoH, Packy 2.0, songster, and Femme. Special shout out to Pastiche Pen who solved a conundrum for me with one sentence. Goodness gracious. Who let me write even this vaguest of mysteries?!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ermagawd. An update! Miracles will never cease.

The small crowd of paps was back outside his gate again. Edward could see them from his window on the top floor of his house. 

“If looks could kill…” Rosalie said. She rubbed his arm.

Edward turned to look at his sister. “You’d have been in prison years ago, Rose.”

She grinned. “True. And you'd have been a crispy critter.” She looked over his shoulder at the photographers in the street below. “Do you ever get used to them?”

“Sometimes I think I do. Sometimes, when they aren’t being aggressive, I talk to them. They joke. They tell me about their families, and it’s easier to remember there's a normal human being in there instead of a vulture.” Edward shook his head. “But the minute they catch a whiff of a story, they'll throw the kinds of questions at you that would make even Mom hit them.”

Rosalie snorted. “Of course she would hit them. They’re hurting her baby.”

Edward sighed, scratching his chin as he debated with himself over what to tell his sister. “I think that’s part of my problem. If this was just about me, I would deal with it. I do deal. I always think to myself, if it meant I wouldn’t have to deal with them, would I give up everything else? I do like my job.”

“I’m sure the money doesn’t hurt.”

“Ha. No. Anyone who tells you money can’t buy happiness is lying.” He shrugged. “But this time, if I had the choice…” He shook his head. “It’s the first time I’ve felt unsatisfied being who I am.”

Rosalie cocked her head. “Are you really that concerned about your safety? I didn’t think you were so scared. The way Mom’s been talking, I thought you weren’t concerned enough.”

“My safety?” It took Edward a moment to realize they weren’t talking about the same thing. “Oh, that.”

“Yes, that. The threat to your life.”

“Don’t exaggerate.” He wagged a finger in his sister’s face. “I hadn’t even thought of it that way, though I suppose you’re right. If my friends out there didn’t feed this frenzy for my personal life, maybe this asshole wouldn’t believe he or she knows me. Maybe I’d land on the cover of People magazine because of the movies I make, not because I’m the most eligible bachelor of 2015. My movies are the only thing the public should be interested in me for.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I know I should be more concerned about this person. They obviously have a screw loose, but that’s not what I was talking about.”

Rosalie furrowed her brow, but then she grinned. “So the tabs did get it right for once, huh? I take it Bella was the one you were caught with.”

“It was a brief moment, but yes. It was her.”

“Hmm.” Rosalie tapped her lips. “You know, she was pretty high on Emmett’s list for a while. Of possible suspects I mean.”

“I know.” Edward shook his head. “She was on the top of my list too, for as little as I’ve thought about it. The paranoia does get to me occasionally. But it’s a ridiculous notion.”

“Is it? Why?”

“Because she could have me if she wants me, and I’m pretty damn sure she knows it.”

Rosalie whistled. “So you can say goodbye to People’s most eligible bachelors list in 2016?”

He grunted. “No. There’s a barrier.” He gestured out at the paps.

“She can’t be camera shy. Not as many times as she went out posing as Gianna.”

“It’s not about the cameras. It’s the combination of the cameras and the famous significant other. She gets burned, and she’s the one being torn apart by complete and total strangers with no fans of her own to balance that out.” 

“Hmm. I see her point. That’s a huge risk on a normal day, but you’ve got an admirer who likes to play with knives.” Rosalie studied him. “And her only perk is you. Yeah, that’s a no-brainer. Not worth it.”

Edward smacked his sister with a pillow.

Before they could get into it further, Emmett breezed back into the room. “Cops got nothing so far,” he said, flopping down on the sofa beside Rosalie. “There’s always so much traffic on a movie set. Tons of people went in and out of Gianna’s trailer. So far, all of them had a legitimate reason to be there. Though that doesn’t matter, right? I mean, it’s not likely they snuck on set. Not into the studio. It must be one of the crew.” His brow furrowed as he thought it out for the millionth time. 

“How’s Jasper taking this, by the way?” Rosalie asked. “It’s gotta be killing him that this happened on his watch.”

“He’d be a pain in my ass if it wasn’t for Alice.” Emmett grinned at that. “I think that mother-trucker is in love. So it’s like a bi-polar thing he’s got going on. One second,he’s going out of his mind, pissed as hell because this bastard is so tricky. The next, Alice has him all googly-eyed. She’s been there for him, so that’s good.”

Edward grumbled and ran a hand over his eyes. He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling.

“Why’s he gone all broody?” Emmett asked his wife.

“Oh, you know. He’s just a boy standing in front of a girl asking her to love him.”

“Christ, Rosalie. Why would you give him that kind of ammunition?” Edward said, raising his head to glare at his sister.

“Because it’s fun.” She ruffled his hair.

Emmett, as could be expected, guffawed. “Hey, you’ll be okay. It’s a good lesson for you.”

“A good lesson?” Edward asked. 

“Sure. You’re an actor, Edward.” His brother-in-law smiled at him goodnaturedly. “You can’t help but be a little bit spoiled. You get almost everything you want, and you could have almost any woman you want. Except this one.”

“That’s probably why you’re so fixated.” Rosalie patted his leg.

Edward didn’t answer either of them. It was possible. The thrill of the chase and all that. He thought about it long and hard, not really listening as Emmett went over some of the other elements of the case.

By the time Emmett and Rosalie left to get ready for the party, Edward had his answer. No, it wasn’t just the thrill of the chase. Maybe it had started that way, but the chase was over. He knew that. He knew, had known for a while now, that if he wanted her in his bed, he could get her there. She wasn’t unwilling. In fact, he thought perhaps part of her was eager for it, waiting.

He knew Emmett was wrong. He realized he’d had every chance and hadn’t taken it. Because he was hedging his bets. Because he wanted more.

Edward was a romantic at heart. A softy, Emmett used to say. Fast and easy was just that--fast and easy. It was nice to be with a woman, share a piece of himself in trade for a piece of her. But he wanted more than that. He wanted what his parents had--long lasting companionship. What Rosalie had--a partner who kept her on her toes.

No. Emmett was wrong. 

But what Edward was going to do about it, if anything, he had no idea.  
~0~  
Edward took an obnoxious amount of time to get ready. He didn’t usually spend much time thinking about his clothes. Everything he owned looked good on him. It was yet another perk of the job. Why shop for his own clothes when there was a whole department whose sole purpose was to make him look good? He got new clothes, perfectly tailored to his body, with every movie he made. That was without taking into account the free designer clothes that appeared in his trailer

He ended up consulting the Internet, Googling himself to find out what his fans thought was his best look. It was ridiculous, he knew. Besides the fact it bordered on pathetic, he’d also said he wasn’t going to seduce her. 

Of course, he still liked teasing her. There was nothing wrong with that. They’d built their friendship on mutual jests. He liked the way her eyes raked over him when he was wearing something she liked or did something she found particularly attractive. Did she realize her mouth hung open a tiny bit at such moments, her lower lip jutting ever so slightly?

Edward was, as always, amused, perplexed, and a little frightened of his fans’ fervor. If he thought about it too long, it was slightly creepy that they could rhapsodize about his ears, his nose, a particular way he smiled. They had opinions on his hair at any length. His beard. It was strange how people took his hair and beard--whether for jobs or his own preference--personally. He’d had to shave his head completely bald for a part once, and there was no escaping the strange backlash. Did these people not realize that hair grew back?

Finally, Edward determined a button-down, gray shirt--with just one too many buttons left undone--and black jeans was his best look. His hair--longish for his current job--was best left to its own devices, the more disheveled and wild the better.

The party was at Jasper’s house. Edward, not caring to limit his drinking after the last couple of days, called the car service to drive. He was about to step out back--where his annoying friends couldn’t go--when he ran smack into Emmett, about to open his door.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked in shock.

Emmett gave him a cool look. “I sent your car away. Dude, what has to happen for you to take this threat seriously? I’ve told you a million times not to go out without me. Just for now.”

“It’s not like I’m going out on the town. I’m going to Jasper’s house.”

Emmett tilted his head. “Straight there.”

Edward shifted on his feet. “It’s impolite to show up without something. I was going to stop for--”

He cut off when Emmett shoved a brown paper bag. “Overly-spendy booze. Check. Let’s blow this pop stand.”

“You know, you’re really cramping my style, McCarty.”

“Cry me a frickin’ river, superstar. Let’s go.”  
~0~  
Some time later, as they were heading up Jasper’s walk, Edward stopped short. He saw through the window that Bella’s friend Seth was there. 

“You guys go on in. I’m going to hang out here for a minute,” Edward said.

Rosalie quirked an eyebrow. “You pick up smoking or something?”

“I just need some air.”

“Right. The fresh Los Angeles air.” Emmett took a deep breath and then pretended to hack. Cackling at himself, he looked to Edward. “I can stay out here with you.”

“Emmett, come on. It’s a gated community. There’s no one out here.” He swept his arm wide, indicating the street which was noticeably free of paps or anyone looking their way. “I promise I’ll be fine for a minute on my own.”

“I keep telling you. Your sister will divorce me if you get hurt.”

“Eh,” Rosalie said with a shrug. “Mostly, I’d be fine with it.”

“I love you too, Sister.”

Rosalie blew a kiss at him, and then she elbowed Emmett in the side. “Come on. No one’s going to jump him out here.”

They finally left Edward to his own devices. It wasn't that he disliked the kid. Seth was funny and very sweet. However, rather than get used to Edward, the kid’s inner fangirl seemed to get worse by the day. Bella had passed on his Kik ID, with his permission, and Seth had slowly started asking him all kinds of questions. They weren't personal but obsessive, and he seemed disappointed that Edward didn’t remember tiny plot details of the cult classic film he'd done over a decade before. He kept pressing, as though Edward lived the same reality he did.

Edward liked Seth. This was another drawback of his life, his fame. Edward wanted to be able to enjoy people the way anyone else could. He wanted to get to know Seth, but how could he from the pedestal the man put him on? Seth got stuck in the shallow waters of what the public thought they knew about him.

Wasn’t that the rub of his life at the moment? It was no wonder Bella didn’t want to start anything with him. If she was his, she would spend a good part of her life in those shallows. She would wade through streams of strangers who thought they knew something about her, about their relationship. They would judge her against whatever fictional reality they decided was true.

A warrior yell startled Edward out of his morose thoughts. He swung around, but too late. Something jumped at him--high on his back, arms wrapped around his neck. He swung his arms, off balance but only enough that he stumbled. He didn’t fall.

A jolt of panic went down his spine. He was about to swing his body wildly to throw his attack off when he heard a familiar laugh. “You’re a sitting duck, stud. Your bodyguard is epic amounts of fail,” said a voice near his ear.

“Bella. God damn.”

She laughed again and was about to slide off his back, but he caught her. He pulled her legs around him, hoisting her into a more secure position. “Going somewhere, spider monkey?” he asked.

“I heard there was some kind of shindig going on today.” She pressed the palm of her hand to his chest. “Damn. Your heart is beating so fast. I scared you.” She sounded gleeful.

“I’m becoming more and more convinced you’re actually trying to kill me. First, you throw me down stairs. Now you try to induce a heart attack. I have to hand it to you, Swan. You made it so everyone thinks we’re friends. No one will suspect a thing, you murderess.”

She sighed. Her breath was hot against his cheek. “I’m so devious.”

“You are. But I know just what to do with you.” Hoisting her again so she was firmly in his grasp, Edward turned them and took several too-quick steps backward.

“Edward. What are you-- Ack!” Her arms tightened around his neck even as she tried to wrest her legs from his grasp. He pinned her between his back and the door--not as hard as it seemed he was going to, of course. “What are you doing?” she asked again, pounding lightly at his shoulders.

“Squishing you, of course,” he said, his tone matter of fact. He pressed back again, delighted at her squeak.

He almost didn’t hear the turning of the doorknob over the sounds of their scuffle. When he did, he pulled away from the door, bringing Bella with him, just in time. The door swung open, revealing Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice staring at them. “Just what the hell is going on out here?” Jasper asked.

Edward smiled serenely, still not letting go of Bella. “Looks like you were wrong, Rose. Someone did jump me after all.”  
~0~  
They were doing a dance around each other.

Something had changed; that much was obvious. There was an odd awareness between them that hadn’t been there before. Edward had gone to the party determined not to start anything. He even made a concerted effort to mingle with everyone else. He didn’t try to ignore her so much as he tried to remember everyone else in the room.

She seemed to be on the same page there. He wondered if she’d made it look as if jumping on people was something she was intothat evening. he was imagining that she went out of her way to make it look like what she’d done out in the front lawn--jumping on him the way she had--was just a thing she was into that evening. She jumped on Seth’s back and even eyed Emmett before he stopped her.

“I’d rethink it, girlie. My wife is the jealous type, and she has claws,” Emmett teased, amused. 

So she’d jumped Jasper instead, since Alice had waved a distracted hand at her antics.

Still, though he couldn’t say he didn’t feel a twinge of jealousy, it was different with the others than it had been for them outside. Everything was different. They talked to the others but inevitably gravitated toward each other. Every time, their gaze lingered longer than the conversation. She touched him much more than she did anyone else. Absent touches--her finger tapping his hand, her hand on his shoulder when she leaned over him to reach a drink.

Edward was buzzing pretty hard when most of them settled down for a poker match. Bella had declined card playing and was having an animated conversation with Alice. They were standing and had wandered toward the table since the chips and dip were there.

“Yo, Cullen. Get your head in the game,” Emmett said when Edward hadn’t noticed it was his turn.

“Shut up, Emmett,” Jasper said, smacking his boss and friend on the arm. “The asshat is usually a card shark. Let me enjoy winning for once.”

Edward tried to concentrate, but it was difficult. Bella’s nearness was disconcerting. He kept trying to tell himself the warmth in his cheeks and at the center of his chest had everything to do with the alcohol. But that didn’t explain the thrills going down his spine, through his bloodstream. He was going out of his mind; it was hard to think strategy and numbers. 

When she rested her hand on his neck, it took all of Edward’s considerable will power not jolt. There was a current between them--strong and steady and tightening low in his gut. He shuffled the cards in his hands.

Bella continued her conversation with Alice. They were talking about something they’d witnessed when Alice visited the set with Jasper a couple of days earlier. As she spoke, Bella’s fingers moved at his neck, stroking through his hair in a familiar but absent way, as though it was normal for them. As though it was her right to touch him like that.

Her touch did things to him. The pads of her fingers skimming along sensitive skin made him wistful. He indulged in the daydream that this could be the norm for them, that any second she would lean over his seat and duck down for a quick, affectionate kiss. The sensation stirred his desire. He did want her, after all. 

“I got nothing,” Edward said, putting his cards down. “I fold.” He drummed his fingers against the tabletop as though he was irritated by his lack of good cards. 

Bella laughed at something Alice had said, her fingers stilling at his neck. Edward couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Finish out this round. I’m gonna break the seal,” he said, pushing his chair back as he stood. 

He found himself face to face with Bella who looked startled at his sudden nearness. He was startled too. He’d known, of course, that she was close, but they ended up nose to nose. She blinked.

“Sorry,” they said together, eyes locked. Neither of them moved for three long beats. She had a look in her eyes like she wanted the same thing he did--to kiss him. Edward swayed. Waited.

The moment passed and he stepped around her, heading for the bathroom. There, he slapped cold water on his face. The alcohol was making things worse. His mind was more muddled than usual, his inhibitions beginning to slip.

If she’d tilted her head a fraction of an inch just then, he would have kissed her in front of all their friends. That wouldn’t have been a good idea at all. 

When he opened the door to the bathroom, he found himself propelled back into it. Bella was there, her eyes intent, her hand firm against his chest, shoving him. When he’d stumbled a few steps back, she stepped into the bathroom with him, closing the door behind her. He hardly had a fraction of a second to process what was happening before she lunged at him, arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her.

Edward didn’t need to be coaxed. He attacked her mouth with just as much fervor. She’d been drinking something that tasted heavily of lime and salt. He licked it from her lips, his hands at the bare skin of her lower back, pressing her against him.

They were urgent, wild kisses. She pulled and he pulled, as though they both believed the other was about to let go. His hand shot out, trying to find purchase against the counter. He knocked over a bottle of lotion and the soap. The noise was too loud, but neither of them cared.

In all their pulling and flailing, Bella won. She was the one who turned them around. She was the one who broke their kiss--they were both out of breath--splaying her hands wide over his chest. She pushed him backward, against the door, and was on him again in the next heartbeat. Her hands trailed along his sides, and then he heard the telltale click of a lock.

Oh, hell yes. 

Bella pulled back again, panting. Edward licked his lips, tasting the remnants of alcohol, lime, and her. She looked at him, soft brown eyes gone dark and wanting. “You want to know something?” she said, still breathless.

He huffed. His thoughts were far from concrete just then. “What’s that?”

She reached out, not dropping her gaze as she began to unbutton his shirt. “If anyone ever told you this color looked good on you, they were lying.”

“Is that a fact?” His hands were at her waist, his thumbs tracing patterns on her skin.

She smirked. “Yeah. You look horrible.”

“Uh huh. That’s why you want it off, right?”

“It really is for the greater good.”

He shrugged his shoulders, helping her take the shirt off. Her hands were warm as she pulled his undershirt halfway up. She finally broke eye contact to look down. “Christ,” she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled. “No. I’m afraid I can’t do the water to wine trick.”

And then, he was abruptly done. He’d wanted this woman for too long now, and having her hands on him, her eyes devouring him, was too much. He surged forward, his hands firm at her side, holding her to him as he kissed her. 

Just as quickly as he’d begun kissing her, he stopped. He spun her around and pushed forward, trapping her between his arms with his hands braced on the counter. He ducked his head, kissing her cheek. “I’m not going to tell you this little thing doesn’t drive me crazy,” he said, tugging on the edge of her midriff-baring shirt. He reached up, brushing her hair over her shoulder so he could press his lips to her ear. “I’m not a liar like you, Swan.”

He took another step forward so he pinned her against the counter with his hips. She had to feel how hard he was for her. He took her earlobe between his teeth as his hands went up under her shirt. He sucked at her neck, palming her breasts through her bra.

“Oh, god. Oh, hell,” she muttered, catching herself on the edge of the counter as he had. Her pert, round ass pressed back against him, making him groan.

“You want me?” he asked, his lips back to her ear.

She whimpered. “Yes,” she whispered.

“You want this?” he ground against her.

She moaned. “Yes.”

He let his hands skim down her belly and play at the button of her jeans. He pressed his cheek against hers, watching her eyes in the mirror. “You like this, hmm? You want to watch me fuck you?”

She swallowed a whine at the back of her throat, bucking her ass against him, encouraging. “Edward,” she said. He’d never found the sound of his name more erotic.

He could see in her eyes she wanted this. She was willing. More than willing. She was aching as badly as he was, needy for him as he was for her.

But there was also something else in her gaze. Something decidedly not sexy. Resignation? Relief, maybe.

His hands stilled, and he closed his eyes tightly, both trying to summon is rationality and trying to push it further away. Who cared? She was here in his arms. She was tucked up against his body, and in another minute, he could be buried deep inside her. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, because he had the sense that if they did this, if they made this about sex, one night, one quick fuck, was going to be all he got. Because he’d be just like everyone else--interested in her body and answering the electric pull of attraction.

He was a risk for her. He knew that. If he wanted her to take that risk, he had to do better than a quick fuck in the bathroom. Much, much better.

He groaned, but he stepped backward. Away from her. Completely away. He let his hands drop to his sides.

For another second, she was still--mostly bent over the counter. He could see in the mirror that her brow creased in confusion. She turned around slowly. The air between them was alive with static and something heavier now. Surreal and uncertain. 

Edward tried to summon some bravado. He wanted to joke with her. Say something blasé but alluring. He couldn’t find the words. He also knew he had to do something, say something, quickly. Hurt was beginning to creep into her features, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He managed a smile at her, reaching out to take her hand and pull her toward him. “You and I are more than a little tipsy.”

Her lips tugged up and down, up and down as she looked back at him. She was so lovely--flushed and beautiful. He couldn’t help but cup her cheek and kiss her. It was a hard kiss but not a deep one. Damn, he wanted her. And he wanted more.

He wanted.

He kissed along her cheekbone to her ear. “Honey, if I’m going to have you, I want much more time and a lot more privacy.”

She shivered and turned his head to kiss him. “I don’t know, stud. Looking at you, who wouldn’t need beer goggles, you know what I’m saying?’

He chuckled and kissed her one last time. “Liar,” he said against her lips.

And then he let her go.

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Phew! Don’t worry. Femme and Songster already yelled at me. How are you, my lovelies?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, friends. Entering the home stretch here. Let’s get to it.

“There’s going to be a guard with you at all times. If not me, it’s going to be one of my people. He can stay outside the trailer if you’d prefer your privacy, but wherever you go, he goes. He’ll escort you to the set. He’ll escort you wherever you need to go. You’re not out of his sight.”

Edward had to struggle not to glare at Emmett. “This is such a fucking fiasco.”

“Don’t fight me on this, Edward. If it’s not the police demanding this shit, it’s the studios’ insurance company.”

“I’m not fighting you. I’m saying it’s a fiasco because that’s what it is.” Edward ran his hand through his hair, disgruntled. “I have reporters coming out of my ass. The tabs are having a field day pretending I might die when I walk back on set tomorrow. It’s overdone.” He sighed. “What else?”

“I need a list of people you want to be able to go in and out of your trailer without being stopped. We’ve already cut down the staff who have access to a minimum, which means you’re going to have to do without some niceties.” He looked up and grinned. “No more fresh fruit baskets every day for you.”

“Woe is me.” Edward spread his arms wide over the back of his couch. He rattled off a few names, most of which were fairly obvious--Benjamin and a few key members of his team. His agent. He took a deep breath, knowing even though Emmett was in business mode, he was never too busy to give Edward shit. “Bella.”

“Of course, Bella,” Emmett said with a scoff. There was a not-quite-teasing note to his voice. He tapped on the pad he’d been scribbling on. “Okay, I have to do my job before I can give you crap about this. I hate to be the one to put a damper on things, but if you’re going to start something with her--”

“Nothing happened,” Edward said, not in the mood to have anyone butting in on yet another aspect of his life.

Emmett snorted. “Yeah, okay. So if you’re going to start nothing with her--”

“I know what you all think, but there’s nothing going on.” 

“Give it up, kid. Even assuming we didn’t hear all that crashing and clattering, you came out of the bathroom together. Did you see the look on Alice’s face? I’ll bet she has nightmares about what you did to her poor, innocent bathroom. There are only two reasons two grown people go to the bathroom together, and one is way too kinky for your vanilla ass.”

“What the hell do you know about my...never mind.” Edward shook his head. “Nothing happened.”

Another snort. “Okay, fine. Well, regardless, I have to advise you that if you want to continue to do nothing with Bella, you should keep it on the D.L.” His face turned serious again. “Really, bro. We’ve tried to flush the stalker out, but they’ve escalated. The threat against Gianna is obvious, but it won’t take much for an unstable mind to leap to you if you rub them them the wrong way. If you’re papped out and about with another lady love, it might push our friend to do something even more stupid.”

Edward made a face. “Emmett?”

“What?”

“You’ve asked Bella already if she wants a guard, right?” He thought he knew his brother-in-law well enough to know the answer to that question. “Most of the crew thinks the rumors are more funny than true. They still think I’m with Gianna. Right now, whoever is doing this blames Gianna for spreading lies. But preventing photographers from catching us in public isn’t going to stop the rumor mill on set. What if that pushes our friend to focus their attention on Bella?”

“I tried everything to get her to take a bodyguard,” Emmett said, his voice soft. “My people are looking out for her as much as they can, but she refused the protection. You don’t have a choice, but the studios, the police, the insurance company--none of them are as concerned for Bella as they are for you.” He looked to Edward. “Of course, they think anything going on between you and Bella is just one more ridiculous rumor.”

“It is a rumor, but if you think the studio can convince her to take it seriously--.” 

“You know they won’t.” 

Edward grimaced. “Then maybe I should stay away from Bella. Take her off the list.”

“How do you go from not taking things seriously enough to taking them too seriously?” Emmett rolled his shoulders. “Between my people and the police, the set is as safe as it can get. Bella did promise that she wouldn’t leave set unless she was with other people. Like the girl said before--she’s got professional training. Nothing indicates she’s a target. This person is fixated on Gianna.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Edward hunkered down on the couch. “Fucking fiasco,” he muttered under his breath.

~0~

After a thorough police investigation, the first day back at the set was a busy one. The story about the incident broke almost immediately, which meant they were all very much in the public eye. It made for a tense atmosphere. The studio had gone overboard in Edward’s opinion. They’d let go any of the crew who might have had a shady background, including Edward’s assistant who’d had a petty theft on his record when he was nineteen. Why anyone would go from theft to what the creeper was doing was beyond Edward. Even though he was annoyed the man couldn’t keep his mouth shut about him and Bella, he didn’t think he deserved to be out of a job.

It was some consolation that the affected employees were duly compensated, but it made for an uncomfortable aura. It didn’t help that there was a huge increase in the paparazzi milling around the studios, bugging absolutely anyone for more info. Studio representatives were on site. Emmett and his team were pissed. They were being railroaded by the team of bodyguards hired by the studio--who were not so subtly putting the blame entirely on Emmett’s shoulders. The only reason Emmett and his team were still around was that they were private hires--employed by Edward and Gianna, not the studio.

Edward’s phone rang almost non-stop between questions from Benjamin, the studio, and his family. The interruptions made getting into character difficult for everyone, including Edward. It was like it was the first day on set rather than almost two months into shooting. They were almost done, for fuck’s sake, and it felt as though no one knew how to work together anymore.

He was exhausted by mid-afternoon when he got to his trailer. Emmett was walking with him this time, bitching his ear off about the latest twist in the whole sordid saga. He wasn’t really paying attention until one of Emmett’s team came jogging up. 

“You have a visitor, Mr. Cullen,” the woman said. “A Miss Swan. She was on the list. She’s waiting for you.”

Edward perked up considerably. He turned to Emmett. “Beat it.”

Emmett, despite the tenseness of the moment before, looked amused. “No can do, boss. I’ll wait outside, though.” He leaned in so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Don’t rock the trailer, Edward. There are already too many eyes on it.”

“Shut up, Emmett.”

Edward darted up the stairs, away from his cackling bodyguard, and opened the door.

Whatever smartass comment he had ready died on his lips. He spotted her immediately in the recliner. She was slumped, her head bowed, and her hair falling haphazardly across her face. Her shoulders rose and fell in even intervals. 

Poor thing was more exhausted than he was. He knew her father was a stickler about preparedness with his people. Distraction was deadly, Charlie Swan was fond of saying. There were a lot of distractions on set in general, let alone for Bella.

Edward crossed the room with soft steps, soaking in this rare moment. This was a new side of Bella--no bluster or bravado, vulnerable in sleep. He reached out, brushing her hair back and calling her name.

“Hmm?” The sound was soft. Bella opened her eyes and blinked, waking slowly. Edward felt a rush of warmth go through him, and he couldn’t help but cup her cheek. Her eyes found his and she smiled sleepily. “Hmm?” she said again.

Too adorable. “Wake up. You’re going to hurt your neck,” he said.

She breathed in deeply through her nose and raised a hand. Edward found his breath caught in his throat as her fingertips skimmed his cheek. It was an intimate gesture he wasn’t prepared for at all. “Sleepy,” she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

Edward, disconcerted, took a few steps backward and cleared his throat. “I was about to take a power nap myself,” he said, stretching out on the bed. “You want to join me?”

He tried to tease her awake, but, to his everlasting surprise, it had the exact opposite effect. Bella got to her feet, her eyes still hooded and her hair mussed. She ambled in his direction and all but fell into his bed. She curled up against his side as though she were a tiny kitten. Slinging an arm over his waist, she fell promptly back to sleep, oblivious to Edward’s slack-jawed expression.

They hadn’t been able to talk after the party, though not for lack of trying. It was mostly Edward’s fault; there were at least a million people trying to pull him in at least as many directions. Then Bella had been busy all day the day before giving a presentation she’d agreed to months ago. Which left them as they were, finally with a moment alone and not enough time for anything to happen--talking or otherwise.

Face to face as they were, Edward could see the smudges under her eyes. How tired was she, he wondered. And if she wasn’t sleeping, what was keeping her up?

He chided himself for vanity when he wondered if she was thinking about him. There was a lot going on besides this thing they never had a chance to talk about. 

Despite the fact he had a beautiful woman in his arms, in his bed, Edward couldn’t keep his eyes open either. After only a few minutes of quiet gazing, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

He woke up what felt like only a minute later though he didn’t open his eyes. He wrinkled his nose, trying to wiggle out an itch. The itch relocated to his cheek. He grunted and raised his hand to scratch.

At the sound of a giggle, his eyes flew open. He was startled, trying to figure out why Bella was so close to him and holding…

A black Sharpie?

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice gravelly from sleep.

She looked the picture of innocence. “I was playing connect the dots with the freckles on your face.”

His eyes went wide as her words sunk in. “Oh, hell. Bella. That’s a fucking Sharpie, and I have to film later. Shit.” He rolled out of bed as he spoke and darted for the bathroom mirror to check the damage.

He blinked. His reflection was exactly as it should have been--no marks to be seen. He heard Bella practically scream with laughter.

“Think that’s funny, do you?” he asked, coming back into the room.

“Oh, my god. If you’d only seen the look on your face.” She stood, grinning at him from across the bed. “Come on, stud. You know I know better than that.”

He grunted, trying to hide the smile of amusement that picked away at his embarrassment. “I don’t know. You’re a bit of a brat. I’m not sure I’d put it past you.”

She tempered her smirk into a look of mock indignation. “I’m a professional brat.”

“Sure you are.”

As he spoke, he’d been stepping toward her so, as he said this last, they were face to face again. His eyes went to her lips, and he watched her smile fall. He heard her breath stutter, and he was lost. He needed to kiss her again. He leaned in.

Bella ducked down and to the side. For a brief moment, as Edward looked at her, she seemed discombobulated. Her face was flushed and her eyes seemed dilated. But she pulled herself together enough to grin at him. “Ah, no. You had your chance and you cockblocked your own damn self, remember?”

He stared at her, debating. There was something about the timbre of her words. They sounded off--as though they’d been rehearsed. The confidence she typically exuded seemed not so solid.

Facing her full on, he took a step toward her, watching her carefully. “We were tipsy,” he reminded, stepping closer again, into her personal space.

Again, she spun away, but only by a pace or two. “You were right,” she said, and again she seemed like a woman pretending she was as blase as she sounded. “And I was right. Take off the beer goggles, and you’re screwed. Or not screwed, as it were.”

He stepped forward, testing, and she stepped back.

She wasn’t running away, he realized. She was always in arm’s reach. She was inviting the chase, and that was an interesting thought to ponder. Bella was a self-assured woman. He had no doubt she was more than capable of making the first move. But then, she already had. She’d been the one to kiss him, and she’d been the one to jump him at the party.

“I believe what I said is I wanted more time and privacy,” he said, pinning her with his eyes without advancing.

“We have neither time nor privacy,” she said, her tone almost sing-song. “Besides, I just slept with you, so that itch has been scratched.”

She made a move as though to go sit down in the recliner again. Edward pounced. He darted forward, catching her around the waist. She gave a squeak, but in a heartbeat, he had thrown her down on the bed and climbed over her. He grabbed her raised hands and pinned them down by her head with his. It all took barely two seconds, and they were face to face again, nose to nose, with her wide eyes staring up at him as he bent over her. They were both breathing hard.

It was difficult to concentrate then. She didn’t struggle, didn’t try to get out of his hold. She seemed shocked, and though he’d known what he was about to do, Edward felt shocked. For a few heavy seconds, they merely breathed in each other’s hot air.

Edward licked his lips and tilted his head. He shuddered, feeling the brush of her open mouth against his. Her warmth beneath him was incredible. The smell of her. The sight of her wide, wanting eyes. It was all so incredible; it was difficult to think around his desire.

“Tell me something,” he mumbled, the words vibrating in the scant fraction of an inch between their mouths.

“Hmm?” She tilted her head up, catching a barely-there kiss.

Edward shivered. It was a struggle to stop himself from rutting against her, seeking friction against her hot body. No. Not yet. They had to talk.

Christ, what had made him think he could talk like this?

He swallowed hard. “You want me.” It wasn’t a question, but he waited for the answer anyway.

“I already said I did,” she said and kissed him again. 

He groaned when her kiss lingered. It took all his willpower not to give in right then and there. He had her at his mercy. Why did it feel like it was the other way around?

“I want you, Bella.” His words were raw--almost a growl he rumbled into her mouth. “I want you, but I want more.”

He kissed her once. Again. Again. His hunger was beginning to get the better of him, but he managed to stop.

She was panting, wiggling beneath him though she didn’t try to yank her arms from his grasp. “What do you want?”

Her quiet words calmed his raging libido enough. He kissed her again but sweetly this time. “I don’t know if I can tell you what I want. I don’t know if you’d believe me. You’d accuse me of being an actor. Reading from a script.” He sighed and kissed her again. “You make me want to talk in poetry. You make me want to channel Shakespeare.”

She pressed her lips together, smothering a whimper, but when she looked back into his eyes, she smiled. “Shakespeare wrote some pretty awesome dick jokes.”

For one second then two, Edward couldn’t translate what she’d said. Then he started to laugh. He let go of her wrists so he could lean on his forearms and tilted his forehead against hers. “Oh, God. You’re going to be the death of me, Bella. I swear you will.”

Her hands freed, she scratched her fingers through the hairs at the back of his neck. He could hear her swallow and her breath falter before she spoke. “Tell me to be brave for you, and I will,” she whispered. She took his face between her hands, tilting his head up slightly. He could feel her trembling beneath him. “Tell me you’re worth the risk, and I’ll believe you.”

Edward pulled back enough to look at her. She was such a brave woman--tough and strong both physically and otherwise. The vulnerability in her expression as she stared up at him was a shock. Still, he could see other things in her eyes; a reflection of so much of what he felt. Hope. Desire. Longing. Adoration.

The stirrings of love.

“Bella--” he started, but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Mr. Cullen. You’re wanted on set.”

“God. Fucking. Dammit.” He tilted his forehead against hers and laughed. He could feel her laughing beneath him, and his wry mirth turned into a groan. She stilled as best she could, and he gave her a quick kiss.

“Give me five minutes,” he called toward the door. He rolled onto his back, bringing her with him so she was sprawled now on top of him. He cupped his hand around the back of her head, bringing her in for a slow, sweet kiss.

“Bella,” he said, nuzzling her cheek.

“Yes?”

He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’m not going to ask you to be brave or tell you I’m worth it.”

“No?” she asked, the sound breathy as he continued to kiss along her jaw. 

“No.” He kissed her lips. “But if you’ll do me the honor of a date, then I think I can prove it to you.”

She laughed and tangled her fingers in his hair. “Dammit, Cullen. That was fucking smooth as hell. Why do you have to be such an actor?”

“I told you you were going to say that.”

She sighed, and curled up so her head was tucked up under his chin. “Yeah, okay. I’ll bite.” She pressed a kiss to his throat. “But you better not make me regret this. You better be worth the massive case of blue balls you’re giving me.”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her hair, chuckling. He knew damn well she wasn’t really talking about blue balls, and he hoped right along with her that he was worth whatever he was about to put her through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Did you know that almost every time I type A/N, I almost always end up with an L there...so it looks like A/NL...and I’m like, Freudian slip much there, Kris? What are you REALLY thinking about?
> 
> Ahem.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh my god. An update?! I know. Thank you for your patience, ducks. My brain went on hiatus for a bit, but I think I’m back.

Edward got her flowers. He got the most obnoxiously big arrangement he could find. All kinds of flowers; everything but roses. As he’d placed the order, he hadn’t been able to stop cackling. 

He knew Bella. She wasn’t the type of person who could be charmed by the cliché flowers routine. In fact, he knew her well enough to guess that if he were anyone else trying to woo her, flowers and chocolates would be a point in the negative column: a follower, unoriginal.

The more time went by, though, Edward began to wonder if she would get the joke. He was teasing her. That had to be clear, right? He was arrogant, but he wasn’t so cocky as to find it inconceivable he could turn her off. That was what dating was all about.

He ran the whole scenario by Emmett, looking for advice. If nothing else, his brother-in-law would laugh at him. That would break the tension.

When he was done, though, Emmett hadn’t even looked up from his cell phone. Edward scooped up a handful of Cheetos and threw them at his friend. 

That got Emmett to look up. He looked pissed too. If Edward didn’t know him so well, he might have been scared. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“I asked you a question,” Edward said.

“Man, like I have time for your teeny-bopper drama. Take it to Tiger Beat or better yet, TMZ. Benjamin would love it. Your fans would eat that shit up.”

Edward stared at Emmett, stung. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

To his surprise, Emmett picked up a nearby throw pillow and tossed it across the room with such force, it thunked against the wall loud enough to make Edward jump. “I’m missing something,” he roared. He got to his feet and started pacing. “It’s right in front of my face; I can feel it. I’m missing something, and it’s going to get you killed, or it’s going to get her killed.”

“Em, Jasper is on Gianna like white on rice. The cops are everywhere. Come on, man. The good thing about going public with this whole thing is that there are a million eyes on us. It’s a damn circus.”

Emmett grunted, but he threw himself back down in the chair. He rubbed at his chin, his expression far away.

“Seriously, man.” Edward went to sit on the bed, across from where he was sitting. “What’s got you so uptight right now? Last week, you didn’t want all the cops and attention. Last week, you still wanted to lure this jackass out.”

“I don’t know,” Emmett muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “Gut feeling. It makes me nervous that the police didn’t find anything solid on anyone. That was the benefit of having them involved--they can search everyone’s space. They have the resources for background checks.” He shook his head. “But they didn’t find anything, Edward. Which means, in all likelihood, this person is close and probably pissed.”

Edward shivered. He rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want to be afraid, but he couldn’t help but be just a little bit creeped out. Generally, it still felt like all of this was just getting blown more and more out of proportion.

“Okay, man. You need to take a breath. If I’m going to die, today isn’t going to be that day.”

Emmett glared at him, but after a moment, his look turned more curious. “What happens today?”

“I’ve got one scene to shoot, and then we’re heading out to where they’ve got the train set up.” He swallowed hard, his fear instantly shifting elsewhere. “The stunt crew is packing up to leave as we speak.”

“Bella’s going to shoot her stunt today, huh? The one on top of the train?”

“Yep.” Edward did his best to sound like he knew filming a fight scene on top of a moving train was a totally normal thing. Which it was, in Hollywood. Fucking action movies.

“So rather than watch you die due to my own incompetence you want me to be there for you while you watch Bella die in a tumble from a moving train?”

“No one is going to die!”

Emmett cracked a smile. Then Edward did. He tossed another handful of Cheetos at his brother-in-law.

“You’re such a primadonna bitch, Edward. You know some assistant has to clean that up.”

~0~

For the most part, Edward tried not to think about how damn flexible Bella was. He was trying not to be tempted by what he knew her body could do.

The stunt team had set up a practice area where Alec--Edward’s double--and Bella were going over their moves. The choreography was complex--a dance of gymnastics and martial arts. Edward had been there once when they first started practicing, when each move was slow and measured. Now, they were lightning quick. Kick, punch, dodge. Alec grabbed her. She propelled him onto his back. He tried to kick her in the stomach, but she flipped backward.

Edward was of three different minds here.

He was turned on. How could he not be? This woman, this lithe, beautiful woman, wanted him. How could he watch her body and not think about having her wrapped around him? He could be in her so deep.

Then, he was proud. She was ridiculously talented. He’d always had an appreciation for the work the stunt doubles did. It was athleticism, choreography, and just plain old bad assery all rolled into one. 

And he was terrified for her. Watching her duck and weave, flip, wrestle, on the ground, on a mat, was one thing. In a few minutes, she’d be doing that on top of a moving train. He didn’t care how many safety precautions were in place. There weren’t enough.

He leaned up against a trailer, watching. If he won the right to call her his, he’d have to get used to this. Have to be fine with the fact she was going to get hurt now and again. He would have to support her through that.

But then, he was getting ahead of himself. 

Edward snuck up to the mat slowly, while her back was turned. Alec saw him coming, but he covered quickly when Edward put a finger to his lips, signaling quiet. 

He almost felt bad. He made a loud noise close enough to her ear that it startled her. She went tumbling down to the mat. Alec cracked up. 

Edward, smiling, went to offer his hand to help her up, but she did that crazy move where she drew back her legs and hopped straight onto her feet. She was in his face a second later. “What the hell is wrong with you, Cullen? I was in the zone. Do you know what that’s like? You don’t move someone out of the zone. You know if you did that when I was like, mid-flip, I could have fallen on my head or something.”

He chuckled. He couldn’t help it. She was going all Christian Bale on him--an artist disrupted from her process. He could understand it. Her passion was just one more thing about her he admired.

“Are you laughing at me?” she demanded.

He held up his hands in a placating motion. “Whoa. You’re right. I’m sorry. I had nothing but good intentions. I swear.”

She crossed her arms. “What good intentions could you possibly have that include screaming like a moose?”

“A moose?”

“Yeah, the sound you made did sound kind of moose-ish. If it were dying. Slowly. Painfully,” Alec said, grinning. He threw his arm around Edward’s shoulders. “But that’s not important. What is important is you and me discussing what you’re going to give me in return for this video on my phone.”

“Alec,” Bella said, but he ignored her.

“Content of the video?” Edward asked.

“One Miss Bella Swan being razzed by the entirety of the department. There’s stammering and a whole lotta huffing. And oh my God, I was unaware a person could turn that color red. It is, as the kids say, amaze-balls.”

“Alec! Bros before hoes, man. Come on,” Bella said.

“What? You gotta realize what a rare sight that was. Cool, collected Bella Swan--professional ballbuster--felled by flowers.” Alec shook his head. “The man has earned the right to see your reaction.”

Bella harrumphed. “You know what, I’m regifting the flowers. The flowers and the date. They’re both yours now.”

Alec’s eyebrows shot up. “There’s a date? Oh, now this is news. Tell me more.”

“Oh, for Chrissakes,” Bella muttered while Edward did his best not to chortle. She was turning a rather delightful hue of red, and he was enjoying it. He might have been nervous, but the furtive glances she was giving him told him she was more pleased than annoyed.

“What in the ever loving hell is going on here?”

A chill went down Edward’s spine. Likewise startled, Bella and Alec both whirled as Charlie Swan strode over to them.

It was, unfortunately, Alec who answered. “Edward and Bella were just discussing their upcoming date, boss.”

Edward winced. “Alec, what the fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

Bella snorted. “Oh, sure. Now you think he’s a brat.”

Charlie narrowed his eyes at Edward. Before Edward could think of what to say, the other man spoke. “Listen, Mr. Cullen, my people are working right now. Maybe it would be best to let them do their jobs. ”

Now it was Edward who turned red. “Right,” he said. “That's my bad.”

Still, as eager as he was to get out from under Charlie’s glare, Edward wasn't ashamed to reach out for Bella. He took her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips. “We still on tonight?”

Her face gentled into a smile. “Yeah, stud.”

~0~

About an hour later, Alec and Bella’s practice had moved to the top of the train. It was only one car, being pulled along a small stretch of track for each piece of the scene. It was going to be pulled forward for a shot, reset and repeat until they got it. Then they would move on to the next section of track, the next few seconds of the scene. It was a crazy amount of work for a fight scene that would last a few minutes, but there it was.

Emmett stood with Edward, still more tense than usual. He looked like he wanted to enjoy the show, but he couldn't relax. He kept a watchful eye on the perimeter and gave anyone who got near them a thorough once over. 

“Dude, you look like you're eye fucking them,” Edward said when one of the assistants walked off quickly. 

Emmett snorted. “Yeah, that'd be the highlight of his week.”

“Modest as always.”

Emmett’s phone chirped. He glanced at it, then connected the call. “Hey, short stuff.” He listened for a moment, then craned his neck, looking around. “Yeah, I'll come get you.”

“What's up?” Edward asked when he put his phone back in his pocket. 

“Alice was bored at the studio. Like you said, Jasper is all over Gianna, so he's not paying too much attention to her. Apparently, the scene they were doing was boring, so she wanted to check out the stunt work.”

“Can't blame her,” Edward said, flinching as he watched Bella jump backward. “This is much more exciting, even if it is the same tedious thing. Do one move--one three second stretch of film--and reset.” He winced again as he spoke. There was a platform that had been built to go up and over the tracks right at the place the train stopped at each take. Bella kept leaping up and dragging herself onto it to sit between takes. He was pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to be doing that, but no one was calling her on it.

“I’ll be right back,” Emmett said, heading over to the perimeter to get Alice past security.

Things were calm for the most part. Setting up a train car to do what one wanted it to do took a while, so there was plenty of downtime. Edward was distracted, making flirty eyes at Bella, so it took him a while to notice that Alice wasn’t her usual bouncy self. The girl was forever chatting his ear off about what it was like to be on this set or that. It was always novel to become friends with people who had known him for a long time through his work.

He bumped her side. “You okay, kid?” he asked, noticing she was staring too. She was staring at Bella. That made sense. He looked over there so often, she had to be wondering what was so damn fascinating.

“Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind,” she said.

She sounded troubled. Edward paused a moment, looking to Emmett. His brother-in-law knew Alice better, after all. But Emmett was distracted himself, his arms crossed over his chest so tightly that his muscles seemed particularly large today. Woe be to the asshat who tried to attack Edward right then. They would be annihilated based on pure tension alone.

Edward turned back to Alice, offering her a smile. He tried to be an understanding, caring person with his friends, but he really didn’t know her well enough to probe. If she wanted to talk, she would.

“Hey, there’s some kind of commotion going on. Probably some set-related catastrophe, but I’m going to check in with my team at the perimeter,” Emmett said, getting Edward’s attention. He had his fingers pressed to the earpiece he was wearing today, listening in on the chatter from his team. “Don’t wander off. Stay in my vision.”

Edward made a face. “Don’t worry, Dad. I know how to be a good boy.”

Emmett shook his head but didn’t comment. He walked off without another word as Edward grumbled under his breath.

“Are you okay?” Alice asked.

“Yeah,” Edward said with a sigh. “I’m being ungrateful. I know this thing is serious, but I hate it when my life gets turned into a bigger circus than it already is.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re hurting,” she said.

Edward quirked an eyebrow, glancing at her. “I mean, it’s not a huge deal.”

She shook her head. “Always so gracious.”

Edward let that go without comment. He didn’t have much time to think about it. Bella and Alec were clambering down from the platform, dropping onto the train car so they could ride it back to the first marker. He would much prefer if she sat her ass down while the train was in motion when she wasn’t midshoot, but of course, she didn’t. She remained standing. She and Alec did a couple of quick moves as the train rolled. 

When they parted and the train rolled to a stop, Bella looked out over the set. A smile brightened her face when she spotted him. It looked like she was laughing at him. She crossed her arms tightly and hunched her shoulders, pointing at him to let him know she was teasing. A smile tugged at the corner of Edward’s mouth. He made a visible effort to relax, rolling his shoulders back.

“So… you and Bella,” Alice said, drawing his attention back to her. “That’s happening? I thought you said nothing happened in my bathroom.”

Her voice was tight. Not mad, just kind of stressed sounding. Awkward. “Uh, nothing did happen in your bathroom. I mean… we talked.” She didn’t need to know the details of how physical that conversation had been. “We talked about things happening.”

Alice furrowed her brow, and Edward couldn’t understand why she looked so troubled. “Can I ask you a question?”

Another awkward question? He did his best not to sigh. “Of course.”

“Why her?” She tilted her head, studying him. “You are who you are. You could have anyone. Someone much more worthy of you. Why her?”

Edward pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, checking his automatic irritation. It was a fact of his life he was long used to dealing with. Whenever he made a new friend, there was always a period of time where they had to get over who they thought he was. Even those who hadn’t known him or his work very well through the media still had a perception of actors in general, and Alice was had proved herself very familiar with his work.

So he took a deep breath before he answered, reminding himself she was only human. “Bella is smart, ambitious, hilarious, talented, passionate, and gorgeous. Why not her?”

“But she’s always making fun of you. Undermining you. Laughing at you. She’s antagonistic.”

Edward fought a laugh. He could almost understand why she would think that, but didn’t she see that he enjoyed the hell out of her teasing? According to everyone else in his personal life, his attraction to Bella was obvious. He looked over to where she was standing on the train, ready to take her place. Her hair was blowing in the light breeze. She looked strong and heroic--damn sexy. “It’s a friendly kind of antagonism, and besides, I do it right back to her.”

“I’ve seen you get exasperated with her though,” Alice pressed.

“Well, sure. I mean, she doesn’t make it easy.” He chuckled, watching as the second unit director called action. His heart leapt into his throat as it always did when the train started moving, and Alec flung himself at Bella. “Sometimes she’s a pain in my ass,” he mumbled, speaking automatically even though his attention was elsewhere. He didn’t finish that thought, caught by surprise when Alec backed Bella to the edge of the train. He sucked in a breath.

“Yeah. You know, you can be straight with me.”

“What?” Edward asked, distracted again. He breathed easier when the train rolled to a stop and both Alec and Bella took a step toward the middle of the train.

“Jasper told me about the ruse that bitch made you go through.”

That caught Edward’s attention. “What?”

“Gianna.” There was a strange look in Alice’s eyes. “She ruins everything. Or maybe… maybe is it that it was Bella all along? Bella wanted you, and Gianna made it so that you had to do that whole thing with her? Had to take her out? Had to pretend you were falling in love with her. Maybe you’re still pretending.”

“Alice, what the fuck are you--”

She looked at him then, looked him right in the eyes, and there was a weird gleam there. The expression made his blood run cold. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I couldn’t get close to Gianna, but I can take care of this. I can do that for you.”

It all happened very quickly then. Edward’s brain hadn’t quite accepted what was about to happen before it was happening.

Alice drew a gun and aimed. Aimed at Bella who was pulling herself up on the platform. “No!” Edward screamed. He lunged, but too late. The gun went off before he could wrench her arm back.

It went off, and Bella fell from the platform. She struck the side of the train and fell to the ground. Motionless.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It has been a BATTLE to get this one out, my darlings. I’m sick as a dog (why are dogs so sick?), my Internet was down, I had to do an hour of troubleshooting whilst hacking up a lung. It’s been a day, let me tell you.

Edward was still screaming Bella’s name as he wrestled with Alice, trying to wrest the gun from her hand. Desperate to stop her from firing at Bella again, he stepped in front of her, close enough he felt the barrel against his chest a split second before it kicked. The crack of the shot startled him. He fell down onto his ass.

Alice screamed, “No, no, no, what have you done?” She tried to fall to her knees beside him, but Emmett was there, dragging her bodily backwards. 

All of ten seconds had passed, if that.

Some part of Edward knew he'd been shot, but it didn't matter. If he was in pain, he didn’t feel it. If he was dying, he didn't know it. He scrambled to his feet, already running towards Bella’s lifeless form. 

She was surrounded by people now, and he wasn't the only one calling her name. Her father reached the crowd as he did. Edward had the presence of mind to hold back, letting Charlie take the place on her other side, opposite the doctor they'd had on set. 

Edward had only barely had a chance to gasp--she was pale as death, her head crowned with a halo of blood--before someone grabbed hi m by the shoulder, spinning him around. It was one of the PA’s. The man frantically tugged at Edward’s shirt.

“I don't understand. I saw her shoot you. The gun was right up against you. What the hell?” the man cried, still pawing at Edward.

Edward batted his hands away torn between trying to see what the physician was doing to Bella and trying to wrap his head around the fact there was no blood on his shirt.

“Blanks!” Emmett called, waving the gun Alice had. “It's a prop gun. It's a fucking prop.”

He hadn't been shot. 

But then…

Edward swung back around, hope warring with panic. “Then why isn't she moving? If she wasn't shot, why isn't she moving?”

There was so much blood.

“That platform is twenty feet off the ground,” someone said. “And she hit a train on the way down.”

Helpless and unable to go to Bella, Edward spun on his heel, fists clenched at his sides. He didn’t know what he intended to do to Alice, but it was going to be bad. She’d been yelling at him this whole time, yelling things he couldn’t hear for the roar in his ears. Why she did it. Why it needed to be done. How she was just trying to help.

But Alice too was surrounded by the studio’s people and Emmett’s. 

Edward stood between both crowds, helpless to do anything but wait.

~0~

Twenty-four hours passed, and Edward didn’t get to see her. It was strange. Of all the rest of the crew, he was closest to Bella and yet he had to get his information the most circuitous way. Charlie was talking to someone, but it sure wasn’t him.

What had happened was this: 

Emmett had walked away from him to see about a commotion on set. The commotion turned out to be the crew’s search for a missing prop gun. The gun had been rigged to fire, producing the customary noise without the necessity of a bullet. Alice hadn’t known that when she snatched the gun. It should have been obvious--no one in their right mind would leave a loaded gun around on a busy movie set--but Alice wasn’t exactly in her right mind.

The loud clap of a gunshot startled Bella, who had no chance to find terra firma on the platform. Knocked off balance, she fell. A twenty-foot fall was rarely fatal, especially for someone like Bella who knew how to minimize the damage of a fall. The problem was, she’d struck her head and her side on a damned train on her way down. 

She hadn’t woken up yet. The doctors weren’t sure if she was going to. As if the traumatic head injury wasn’t enough, she’d suffered a number of broken ribs and a fractured leg. 

Edward refused to accept the possibility she might not wake up. He put all his strength into what would happen when she did wake up. Landing on her back as she had, the damage to her body could have been so much worse. The leg would take a long time to heal, and she’d probably have to do some physical therapy, but that was okay. That was better than paralysis, for sure.

Now if only he could see her.

Not for the first time, Edward wondered what Charlie Swan thought of him. The man knew damn well he was around. The hospital bigwigs had given Edward an office to wait in when they saw he had no intention of leaving. They’d come personally to report to him that Charlie was refusing any visitors. He hadn’t left the hospital either.

Edward couldn’t blame Charlie for not letting him in. If the man blamed him for Bella being on her deathbed, he would have to agree. For months, ever since he convinced Gianna to take this part, he’d been insisting this wasn’t a big deal. Then, he let things spiral. He could have refused when Emmett suggested he and Bella put on a ruse. Then all the rumors about Edward ‘cheating’ on Gianna with Bella.

So Edward waited.

Long after visiting hours, Edward was in the office, dozing, alone for once--he’d gotten a fair number of visitors himself. He was shaken awake by a rough hand and found himself looking into Bella’s scared, angry eyes.

He blinked. No. Not Bella. Charlie’s eyes--the same color as his daughter’s. Edward sat up straight. 

Charlie retreated to the opposite side of the room, sinking down into a chair. Edward’s stomach tangled up in knots.

“Okay,” the older man said after a tense minute. “I’m going to ask you a question, and you’re going to answer me without any bullshit. I’ve been in this game a long time. I’ve seen a lot of stupid crap done and good people hurt in the name of publicity or pandering to the public or enhancing someone’s image. And I’m not here to judge you. You don’t get to pick the persona the public pins you with. You try to take as much control as possible. I get that.

“Bella is a smart girl. She lives life her own way, makes her own decisions, and makes her own mistakes. I have no idea what the hell you two were up to.” Charlie swallowed hard, not quite able to mask his agony as he said the next words. “But she’s not here to speak for herself right now.”

“I’ve been sitting in a room for going on two days, watching a machine breathe for my only child and getting phone call after phone call from people wanting to talk about you.” Charlie jabbed a finger toward Edward. “They’ve had to increase security to keep the dumbass paps and their cameras away from my girl. They know you’re here.”

Edward grimaced. He knew all that, of course. The paps had caught one photo of him in the hospital’s waiting room, head bent, face ashen--the picture of grief. Benjamin had been calling and showing up almost nonstop, trying to get Edward to put together a coherent response. 

The story was spinning out of control--well beyond the scope of the tabs. It was in the mainstream media now, and no one could put together a cohesive story. There were a lot of pieces: Edward’s injury the first few days of filming; the “proof” of his relationship with Gianna; the rumor that he’d been messing around with a crewmember; the violent incident that resulted in filming being shut down which led to increased security and lost crew jobs. And now this. 

“So what is this?” Charlie asked. “This whole pining thing you’re doing is dramatic by any sense of the word. I know you’re not her boyfriend, because she would have told me that. It’s doing your image a lot of good, so--”

“No,” Edward said, speaking for the first time since Charlie had begun his tirade. He looked the man in the eyes. “This isn’t a matter of dramatics for me. I know I’m not doing anyone any good here, although, honestly, my not being here won’t stop the paps from trying to sneak in. Not now. And I hate this crap ten times as much because I know Bella wouldn’t like any of it.

“I’m here for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that I’d be useless anywhere else. I’d be the one bugging the hospital staff every five minutes, even though I know damn well they won’t tell me anything.” He rubbed the back of his neck, debating his next words before they came tumbling out. “Mostly, though, I’m here because if she wakes up and asks for me, I want to be there for her.”

Charlie tilted his head down, narrowing his eyes at Edward. “Do you think it’s likely she’d ask for you?”

Edward had to laugh. “I have no idea. Bella keeps me guessing.” He sighed, sobering again. “But I think there’s a chance she’d like to see me, yes.”

Charlie studied him for another long moment and then grunted as he got to his feet. “Fine.” He went to the door and looked over his shoulder. “Are you coming or what?”

Edward didn’t let his shock get the better of him. He hurried after Charlie before the man could change his mind. He clenched his fists at his sides to stop them from trembling. He wanted to grab Charlie’s arm and hurry him up. It had been maddening to be so close and yet so far from Bella all this time. He almost couldn’t believe he’d be seeing her in another minute.

“They took her off the ventilator a few hours ago,” Charlie said. “She’s breathing on her own, so that’s an improvement.” He paused outside one of the rooms, taking a deep breath. “The doctors can’t say when she’ll wake up, though.”

If she woke up, he didn’t have to say. Edward heard the words anyway. A lump rose to his throat, and he had to fight to keep his terror at bay. It wasn’t going to happen. Bella was way too strong to go out like that.

When he got his first glimpse of her, though, his conviction flagged. She didn’t look strong. She didn’t look at all like herself. This couldn’t be his fearless, invincible Bella. His Bella was full of fire and light. This Bella…

She was limp, her skin drained and pale. She seemed small, dwarfed by the bed and the various machines she was attached to. A cast engulfed her left leg, making her seem even smaller.

“She’s so still,” Edward whispered before he’d realized he’d spoken out loud.

“Yeah.” The word was pained. Charlie went to Bella’s bedside and sank into the chair.

Edward approached slower, trying to keep the lump in his throat from coming out as a sob. His hands were clenched in such tight fists, his fingernails dug into his palm.

There was a chair on the opposite side of the bed. Edward made his way on shaky limbs to the chair, and he sat gingerly on the edge of it. For a brief moment, he hesitated, not wanting to make her father angry, but then he decided he didn’t care. He picked up Bella’s hand and threaded his fingers through her limp, cool ones.

“She’s important to me,” Edward said, looking at Bella but talking to her father. “I don’t know what you think of me, but she’s important.”

“Yeah, kid. I get that.”

They made awkward conversation for perhaps an hour before Charlie made a disgruntled noise. “Okay. There are a couple of things I have to do, to keep that…” He made a face. “Woman in jail. I’ve been putting it off. It seemed wrong to leave Bella here alone.”

It took Edward a minute to see that as an obvious excuse. Bella had no shortage of friends. It shouldn’t have been a problem to get someone to stay with her. No, he was doing Edward a favor, leaving him alone with Bella to say what he wanted to say.

Almost as soon as Charlie was out the door, Edward pressed her palm to his lips. He took a deep breath, trying to quell the emotion that rose in him. “Fuck, Bella.” He breathed in through his nose and tried again, putting on a lighter tone. “Look, this is all a little more dramatic than necessary. Drama is my department, beautiful. If you wanted to get out of our date so badly, you could have told me.”

He ran a hand through the fringe of hair that peeked out from underneath the bandage wound around her head. He sighed. “When you said that being with actors has hurt you in the past, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what you meant. Wake up, and if you tell me, ‘I told you so,’ I’m not going to argue.”

He waited, but of course, she didn’t sit up. She remained motionless save for the rise and fall of her chest.

“Okay,” he said, kissing her fingertips again. “Then I’m going to take this chance to say a few things I’ve been thinking. Cheesy things. I’m going to tell you now while you can’t accuse me of being an actor. I’m already aware they sound like lines, Bella, but that doesn’t mean they’re not true. Just think about it if you’re not, you know, busy.”

He massaged her hand as he tried to find the right words. It wasn’t that they were scarce. Rather, there were too many words, so much he wanted to say. “I’ve had nothing to do for over a day but think of these things, okay?” Over twenty-four hours wondering what if. What if she never woke up? 

The thought was abhorrent. Rage and fear overwhelmed him. His body tensed under the onslaught. He breathed in and out, calming as best he could, and concentrating again on what he had to tell her.

“You know enough about my past to know I’ve been serious about a few women in my lifetime. In each of those relationships, my affection and my intentions were true. You’re different. You’re more.”

He frowned. As truly and deeply as he meant them, those words rang hollow. They weren’t enough. They weren’t nearly enough. He sighed. “I don’t know, Bella. Maybe I need to hire a screenwriter after all. Someone who could figure out how to say it right. Or maybe I should have paid more attention. I’ve been the romantic lead often enough. Was I just not paying attention?

“You know what I always thought was funny? I’ve never been passionate about my work. I’m good at what I do. I know that, but it’s a job. It’s not a purpose. It’s not a passion. I’ve never considered myself an artist. Never, in all my years of doing this, have I thought, this is what I was put on Earth to do. This is it. This is me.

“But with you, Bella, I finally understand what people mean when they say they have a purpose. Every day is a good day because I wake up knowing there’s a chance I’m going to get to talk to you, to see you. I’ve felt more alive just talking to you than I have in anything else I’ve done, and I’ve done some amazing things. I was meant for you. It’s something I know in my gut.”

He ducked his head and laughed, running his free hand over his eyes. “Dammit, Bella. Wake up. Tell me I’m crazy or a drama queen. Tell me--”

He cut himself off as his throat closed. He pressed his lips together, fighting again to keep his emotions in check. “This just can’t be the way the story ends. It’s bad writing. The audience would leave pissed as hell.”

Leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. For a split second, he had a ridiculous notion that she’d open her eyes then--awakened by true love’s kiss. Right. If she did, she’d probably tease him for being a pervert. He could almost hear her voice.

‘Kissing corpses now, are we, stud? I’m not exactly vanilla, but that’s a level of kink I’m not sure I can get behind.’

Of course, she didn’t wake. She didn’t move at all.

Edward sat back, not letting go of her hand. “Anyway. Long story short, you’re not getting out of that date. You may as well get used to the idea. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.”

He settled in to do just that.

~0~

Two days later, Edward was gritting his teeth. Benjamin had been talking at him for the better part of an hour. His phone kept buzzing in his pocket--the studio making sure he was going to return to work the next day. 

It was all wrong. Production had shut down again while an investigation took place, but now preliminary filming was ready to start. A new stunt double had been brought onto the crew. She was being fitted and going through rehearsal with Alec. Charlie had looked as disgruntled as Edward felt when he told him.

“Edward, are you hearing what I’m saying at all?”

Edward blinked and looked up at his publicist. “What?” he asked. He could almost hear Benjamin counting to ten in his head before he answered.

“You have to let me make a statement. The fans and the media are worked up into a frenzy you’re going to have to deal with eventually. Better to give them something official to go off of. Anything. This radio silence isn’t helping anyone.”

“I know,” Edward said with a sigh. He massaged his temples. “I wanted to talk to her about it. What she wants me to say,” he muttered, mostly to himself. 

Bella slept on, oblivious to the building drama. The tabs were having a field day putting together one bizarre theory after another. “I know she wouldn’t appreciate all the speculation about her private life, but I didn’t want to speak for her.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Time insists on going on without her.”

He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, tired and heartbroken. He didn’t want to have to make these decisions. He didn’t want to have to think about releasing statements and going back to work while there was a huge question mark hanging over their heads. What did her future look like?

Did she have a future at all?

“Okay,” Edward said. “You can release a statement. Something--”

The door to the little office banged open, making both men jump. A nurse peeked in the door. “Mr. Cullen?”

Edward’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Yes?”

“Mr. Swan asked me to come see you.”

Edward held his breath.

The nurse smiled. “Bella woke up just a few minutes ago.”

Edward all but leapt to his feet. The nurse held a hand out to stop him from rushing out the door. “She’s with the doctors. They don’t have a full picture yet, but Mr. Swan asked me to tell you.”

“I… You… I.”

Benjamin clapped him on the back. “He means thank you. That’s good news. I’m sure you’ll be by to let him know when he can see her?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” Benjamin said again.

“Thank you,” Edward echoed, finding his voice.

The nurse left, and he sunk to his knees, his legs trembling too much to hold him. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he whispered, hiding his face behind his hands.

Benjamin squeezed his shoulder. “I guess she really didn’t want you to speak for her.”

Edward laughed. The sound was strangled, but it was genuine. “I should have known that’s what would get her to wake up.” He let out a breath in a gust, shaking with relief. He knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. He knew there could be any number of things wrong. Hell, this was Hollywood. She might have amnesia.

He didn’t care. Awake was a huge step away from dead. That was all that mattered right then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Reuinion next chap!
> 
> Thanks so much to Packy 2.0, barburella, songster, and Femme.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, doves. Let’s get on with it. See how Bella’s coming along.

Comas weren’t like what Edward had ever seen--and acted--on screen. People didn’t wake up in control of all their faculties, ready to get out of bed. Awareness came gradually, and even if a patient became fully aware, it didn’t mean they would ever regain all their functionality. 

“The term is minimally conscious state,” the doctor explained to Edward when he was allowed to see Bella. “She’s awake, but not like you or I are. Be patient. Keep talking with her. She’s still trying to find her way back.”

“She’s opened her eyes once already,” Charlie said after the doctor had gone. “Not for long.” He swallowed hard. “And it wasn’t pretty.”

“Better than not knowing if she’ll wake up at all, right?” Edward said. He heard the desperation in his voice. Despite the fact the doctors had warned over and over that any number of things could still be wrong, he wanted to have hope.

Charlie didn’t look at him. He held his daughter’s hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles. “It’s better,” he said finally, but it sounded like he wasn’t sure.

An hour or so later, Edward understood his reluctance. For days, the idea he couldn’t see her pretty brown eyes drove him to the edge of madness. He’d have thought he’d give anything to see them again.

Edward was alone when he finally did get to see them. Charlie had been coaxed away by a friend, convinced he had to eat sometime. Edward had been carefully stroking his fingers through Bella’s hair, leaning over her, telling her about what was going on at work when he saw movement behind her eyelids.

“Bella?” he asked, clasping her hand. “Can you hear me? Open your eyes, baby, please.”

Her lashes fluttered. She opened her eyes.

Edward’s heart broke. It wasn’t his Bella--not quite. Her gaze was unfocused. She didn’t react at all to him saying her name. Her eyes didn’t move when he kissed her forehead. They remained cloudy and vacant.

Worst of all was the tiny whimper he heard. He didn’t know how to read that sound. Was she in pain? Afraid? Confused? The doctor had warned she might be any or all of those things. The idea he couldn’t help her killed him. She made the noise again--a small, pitiful sound--and then closed her eyes. She was asleep before the nurse Edward had summoned could get there.

“Believe it or not, reaction is a good sign,” the nurse assured him. “Even if she was in pain, that she was reacting to it is a good thing.” She offered him a small smile. “Healing isn’t often easy, Mr. Cullen.”

As she slept, he drafted a statement for Benjamin. It took him several tries to find the right words. He was angry at his fans. Yes, Alice had acted alone, and she was the one who would have to answer for her crimes. But they were all responsible. Each and every one of them helped create the atmosphere that had allowed ideas that led to Alice’s actions. 

People talked as though they knew celebrities personally. They acted as though they were owed a piece of their lives. It was why Edward couldn’t so much as walk down the street without having his picture taken--because his fans felt entitled to consume even that much of his life. They felt entitled to their opinion on his personal life--what parts he took, who he hung out with, how much he partied, whom he dated. He’d seen toxicity aimed at people he cared about--friends, family, and lovers--in the name of his supposed happiness. As though any of those strangers understood what made him happy.

He wanted to shake all of them. Right. They only wanted him to be happy. That was what the commenters always said. It was what Alice said too, what she’d screamed at him as he’d watched Bella’s blood pool around her head. She’d done it because she knew what was best for him and only wanted him to be happy.

Edward sighed, looking around. Their hearts were most often in the right place. Many of his fans, likewise expressing that they wanted him to be happy, had sent flowers and other gifts to Bella. The room was overflowing. 

It was what it was. He was a fantasy to them--good or bad. He was an idea, not a person. That wasn’t going to change.

He wrote a short statement.

As many of you know by now, a person I care about very deeply was harmed, with the intent to kill, in my name. I vehemently condemn the actions taken against both Isabella Swan and Gianna Gale. They are two of the kindest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am devastated at the idea anyone could think this was something I wanted.

I would like to take this time to make it clear I do not condone any actions made on my behalf. I would not wish an ill word on any person, let alone such sickening, heinous acts that were committed by Alice Brandon against these women. I believe that all people are worthy of dignity and respect, and no one deserves even a word of cruelty aimed at them. It is my hope that any of my fans would feel the same.

However, it continues to be my experience that there is much more love than hate in the world. Thank you for your support, your heartfelt actions and thoughts. Your voices, too, have been heard, and are a light in a dark and trying time.

I ask that you respect the privacy of Miss Swan and her loved ones at this time. Your continued positive thoughts and well-wishes are greatly appreciated.

“Some of the language--” Benjamin began, but Edward cut him off.

“Run it. Unadulterated.”

His fans wanted a personal piece of him; there it was.

~0~

Agonizingly slowly, Bella worked her way back to full consciousness. The first thirty-six hours, she opened her eyes for minutes at a time. Toward the end, she started to flex her fingers. Edward had never felt so elated by a feeble touch. 

The next day, when Edward went directly to the hospital after work. Bella was awake. Not only awake, but her eyes tracked him as he came in the room. He stopped short. “Bella?”

Her eyes were intense--tired but intense--on his. 

“She's squeezing the hell out of my hands,” Charlie said. 

Edward lurched, unsteady on his feet, to the seat by her side. She rolled her head--a slight movement--to look at him. Her features were slack, but her eyes were alive. Not vibrant, but there. When he took her hand, she squeezed it almost instantly--again, a small movement, but perceptible. 

Tears sprung to his eyes, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “Hey, you,” he said, his voice shaky with emotion. “There you are.”

She squeezed his hand again, a small pressure. 

Across from him, Charlie chuffed. “Guess you weren't wrong about her wanting you to be here.”

Bella rolled her head again to look at her dad. He laughed. “Don't worry. I've been playing nice.”

She looked back to Edward, and he laughed too. Hell, he giggled. He was so happy. He raised her hand to his lips. “Don't boss your dad around, Bella.”

At some point during their visit, Edward fell asleep. He woke with a sigh. Something was running fingers through his hair, and it felt good.

Consciousness caught up with him, and he raised his head. He blinked. 

The room was dark--as dark as a hospital room could possibly get. He’d fallen asleep with his head cradled in his arms on the rail of Bella’s bed. Her father wasn’t there. They were alone in the room, and Bella was awake and alert. She’d been caressing his hair. He blinked again. She smiled.

Holy hell, she smiled. A small, tired smile, but a smile. She licked her lips. “Hey, stud,” she said, her voice a scratchy, barely-there whisper. 

They were, without a doubt, the most beautiful two words he’d ever heard.

Edward pressed a soft kiss to her lips, brushing with the gentlest pressure. “Hello, beautiful.”

~0~

“You’ll ask her, right? If it’s okay to visit?”

Edward sighed, looking over at his brother-in-law. “You don’t need permission, Em. Come see her. All of her friends have already been by. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

Emmett grunted. “Doubtful.”

“She doesn’t blame you.” Edward rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t blame you.”

There was a time, right after it happened, that Edward did blame Emmett. Terrified, angry, and lacking anyone else to yell at, Edward had said some not-so-nice things to his friend. 

“You should blame me,” Emmett said gruffly. “It was my fault. She was right under my nose. Literally right under it.”

“She was under all our noses.” Edward shuddered. He’d seen pictures of the shrine she had in a small closet of her house. The same house Edward had been in. If he’d gone snooping, if any of them had snooped, he’d have found it. “Speaking of which, how’s Jasper doing?”

Again, Emmett grunted, and Edward saw his fists flex around the steering wheel. “He’s pretty fucked up about it. The police still haven’t given up on the theory he’s an accomplice. And to make matters worse, he was falling for her. Hard. I don’t think he’s going to be able to work in security again.” He grimaced. “I don’t think I will either, but for reasons of incompetence.”

“Emmett--”

“She almost killed Bella, Edward. Getting someone killed is pretty much the polar opposite of my job description.”

“Your job was to protect me, technically. And Jasper protected Gianna, which was his job description.” Edward waved a hand to stop him from speaking. “Look, we all had our part, okay? Jasper met this chick at the damn gym. She wasn’t involved with movies, didn’t mention me to him. How the hell were you supposed to know it was you she stalked for a while? She knew you were my bodyguard. It was your people she stalked until she found an in. And then it was me who didn’t take it seriously, who thought it was all a game, who didn’t think twice about dragging Gianna and Bella into it. It was Bella who agreed to all your plans and who refused the protection you offered her.”

Emmett pulled into the hospital parking lot. “She wants to see him,” he mumbled.

“What?”

“Alice.” Emmett said the name as though there was something foul in his mouth. “She wants to see Jasper. She wants to see you too, but that’s a given.”

“What does she want with Jasper?”

Emmett shook his head. “She’s in love with him. Or so she says. Obsessed with you--your future, whatever--but in love with him. How’s that for a Hollywood twist?”

“That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah, well. She can fuck off and die for all any of us care.” Emmett looked at Edward. “Call me when you’re ready for a pick up, huh.”

“Right.” Edward put his sunglasses on and pulled a beanie down as he made the short dart into the hospital. He came and went through a back entrance in a parking garage, and despite the fact he rarely saw anyone else around, the paps had gotten several shots of him over the last week.

As he made the now-familiar trek through the hospital to Bella’s room, he considered what Emmett had told him about Alice. He wondered if there was any comfort in the idea she truly loved Jasper. She’d used him without a doubt, but their relationship, however falsely it had started, was true. He snorted to himself. It was a Hollywood trope if ever he’d heard one. The kind where the misguided bad boy--bad girl in this case--learned the error of their ways after finding true love. 

He remembered how he’d harbored suspicions Bella was the one after Gianna. Would he have been able to forgive her if she had been? If their relationship was built on true feelings but false circumstances?

Well, he supposed it didn’t matter. Bella was an innocent, and Alice hadn’t learned the error of her ways. Emmett was right. She could rot in jail for all Edward cared. He didn’t want to think about the creepster anymore. Not right now. He was eager to get to Bella after a long day away. 

As he reached Bella’s unit, a nurse he recognized saw him and gave him a strange smile. “There you are. You’re late.”

“Late?” He furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t been aware there was a schedule. “Is everything okay? Was Bella asking for me?”

Her smile gentled. “She’s doing well. Now go on. Don’t keep her waiting.”

Edward thought the woman was acting a touch strange. Given all that had happened, he started to worry about it. He wondered if he could ask Emmett to look around the hospital, check out the nursing staff to the best of his ability. 

All Edward’s worries faded as he stepped in Bella’s room.

She was sitting up in bed, smiling at him with mischief in her eyes. She looked pretty. Not that she wasn’t always beautiful, but a hospital stay was never the best look on anyone. Today, though, her hair had been brushed. It hung shiny and lovely to her shoulders. The rolling table that usually held her water and whatever bland, crappy meal they were trying to feed her had been moved so it stretched over her bed. A vase held a simple carnation. There was a plate on it too--holding a pastrami sandwich, potato salad, and a mess of pickles. He recognized by the sight of them exactly where they were from.

“These are from Canter’s,” he said, sitting in his customary seat.

“You’re very observant, Cullen.”

He reached for her hand. “What’s going on here?”

“What do you think’s going on here?” She flashed a grin at him and held out a bouquet with her free hand. “I know I’m a bit late, but I believe we had a date.”

He laughed, smiling as he took the offered bouquet. “And me without my good dress pants.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “Ah, I wouldn’t worry. The venue is casual.” She leaned in closer to whisper the next words conspiratorially. “You know, my ass hangs out of the back of the dress I’m wearing?” She plucked at her hospital gown.

He let his grin turn lascivious. “Lucky dress.”

“Don’t be too jealous. If everything goes to plan, after dinner, we’ll be taking a romantic, halogen-lit stroll down the hospital corridor. You might catch a glimpse while you help me into my wheelchair.” She suppressed a grimace, glaring at the thick cast about her leg. 

“That does sound romantic.” He peered around the room. “Where’s your dad?”

She feigned horror. “I’m way too old to bring my dad on a date, ya old prude.” She shrugged. “He took the night off at my vehement insistence.”

“Oh, good. Then I don’t have to worry about him walking in while I do this.” He pushed forward, kissing her with quite a bit more force than he’d dared before. She made a surprised sound that turned into a quiet moan as she kissed him back. She raised her hand--the one not covered in needles and wires--to cup his cheek as she deepened their kiss.

When he had to breathe, Edward broke the kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers, panting, unwilling yet to let her go. He cupped his hand behind her neck, under her hair, rubbing his thumb in slow circles. 

After a few moments of this, Bella pressed a hand to his chest and pushed him back gently. She clucked her tongue. “I don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve been on a first date, stud, but you’re not supposed to kiss first.”

He had to press his tongue to the roof of his mouth to stop the goofy smile that threatened. Only when he was sure he wasn’t going to moon after her did he allow himself to reply. “You know how we actors are. We’re used to getting what we want.”

She nodded, her expression solemn. “Well, not with me. You’re going to have to earn your first kiss.”

“How does that work, hmm? As the planner of the date, aren’t you the one who has to earn the first kiss?” Edward sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Let’s see. You greet me with flowers you picked from your, er, garden.” He gestured around them. You’ve taken me to a restaurant that allows their patrons to have their ass hanging out the backs of their dresses. And…” He prodded the pastrami sandwich. “Yep. It’s cold.”

“Well, someone didn’t move his ass getting here from the set. That’s hardly my fault.”

“Such excuses.”

“You kissed me ten seconds ago, Cullen. Call me crazy, but I’ll bet I can convince you to kiss me again.” She batted her eyelashes and tilted her head.

Her lips were way too inviting for Edward to resist. He dipped his head and kissed her tenderly. “Damn,” he said, breaking the kiss with a sigh. “I never did learn how to play it cool.”

Bella produced a wine flute and a small bottle of Pepsi from behind one of her flowers. She waggled her eyebrows at him as she served. “Fancy, right?”

“Ah, yes.” He swirled his Pepsi in his glass as though it were wine, sniffed it delicately, and then sipped. “I like this vintage. Excellent year.”

She laughed, and he loved the way her eyes danced. “Dig in.”

“What about you?” he asked, taking a bite of a kosher dill. 

“Ah. I’m covered,” she said ruefully. She pulled a plain applesauce cup from the same stand she’d pulled his Pepsi from.

“Gourmet,” he said, reaching out to touch her hand. He took a bite of his sandwich and moaned. “God, it’s been too long since I’ve had Canter’s. How did you know I like it? Oh, wait. I forgot. Was this in one of the interviews of me you watched?”

She seemed bemused by his question. “I texted your sister. In fact, she’s the one who brought it to me.”

Edward was quiet at that.

“What?” Bella asked, when he’d been quiet a beat or two too long.

He shook his head and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, studying her face. “Sometimes I’m so scared people I care about won’t remember I’m real that I forget I’m real.”

Rather than tease him as he might have expected with a line like that, she reached out to trace the line of his jaw. “I know you’re real, Edward.” Her eyes followed the path of her fingertips. “The fantasy you? The makeup and the cameras and the stories your fans will tell themselves about your life? That was all the stuff I didn’t want. The real you?” She looked him in the eyes, her smile tender. “You’re worth dealing with everything else.”

Edward put down his sandwich. The knot in his throat made it took difficult to swallow. He pressed his thumb to her lips and took a shaky breath when she kissed him there. “How can you say that now? How can you say that from where you’re sitting?”

“I fell and hit my head, ace. It happens in my line of work.” She smiled and took his hand, pressing it against her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m going to be one of those comeback stories. They can’t keep me down for long.”

Edward closed his eyes briefly, releasing his breath and with it, the worry all of this would only reaffirm her original opinion--dating actors was just asking for trouble. He took her hand and pressed her palm to his lips, opening his eyes to grin at her. “Bella, I think you can do anything.”

“Except fly, apparently.”

He sat back, embracing the lightness of the atmosphere. “So what do you have planned for the entertainment portion of our date, hmm?”

“What, my company and conversation isn’t good enough for you?”

Edward made a lackluster face and waggled his hand in an, “eh” motion.

Bella’s smile turned wicked. “Oh, good. I did have something in mind that I think you’ll enjoy…”

She turned on the room’s TV set and flipped to the channel she wanted. To Edward’s horror, one of his earlier movies was playing. A bad one. In which he had a horrible haircut and a penchant for overacting. 

“Give me that,” he said, reaching for the control.

“Not a chance,” she said, holding it out of his grasp. 

They “wrestled” though, of course, Edward didn’t put any kind of strength behind it. Still, they ended up tangled and breathless. Bella winced, but she caught Edward before he could pull back. “I’m fine,” she said.

He grunted, feeling guilty about roughhousing with her. She played a good game, but she was injured. “Your ribs are broken.”

“Yeah.” She took an uneasy breath. “But I don’t care.”

Then, she kissed him. She kissed him, and she didn’t let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: How are we doing out there, kids?


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, duckies. Let’s check in on our kids.

**~Some Months Later~**

“Are you sure?” Edward asked, watching Bella button his shirt for him. “I can call the whole thing off.”

“Hah. Benjamin would shit a brick.” Bella smoothed his shirt down and ruffled his hair. She liked his hair mussed. “Plus, they’ve been advertising this interview like crazy. The numbers are going to be through the roof.”

He caught her hands and brought them to his lips. “I don’t care about anyone else. I know it’s not what you want, and if you tell me--”

She pressed her hand over his mouth. Then, lowering it, she kissed him. “We’ve been over and over this. Having thousands of people prying into my love life sucks. Having people decide they know who I am based on a few pictures and some seriously wackadoo ‘insider’ information sucks. It sucks that all these people think they know you.”

She moved her hands to cup his face. “They don’t know you.” Her eyes flashed with mischief. “They think you're charming and smooth. I know you're a gigantic nerd.”

He tickled her sides and she danced away. He caught her by the hand and brought her back to him. She smiled, tracing his features with the tips of her fingers. “They’d never get it, you know?” She said, her eyes on him. “What you did for me?”

“What did I do for you?”

“You gave up your next project just to carry me around for weeks.” 

He had done that. She’d needed long term care as she recouped both because head injuries could be tricky and her broken leg made getting around difficult. So, he’d gone to her house every day to help her with what she needed. He brought picnics, movies, and generally tried to make her confinement more bearable.

Edward grimaced. “It was my fault you were busted up in the first place. Plus, at the time, you called me a nitwit for backing out of that project.”

She gave him a light smack on the chest. “You are a nitwit. I know what it costs to break a contract, Edward Cullen. Don’t think I don’t understand what you gave up for me. If the studio let you out of that contract, it’s only because you agreed to owe them a movie. Which means they can make you do whatever stupid ass movie you wouldn’t sign on to willingly. This is why bad movies happen to good actors.”

He kissed her nose and then her lips. “Worth it,” he said, meaning it. He wouldn’t have traded that time for anything. They’d gotten so close; fallen deeper in love.

“See?” She kissed him again, this one lingering. He wrapped his arms around her, and she pulled out of the kiss reluctantly. “I asked you once to tell me you’d be worth the risk. And it is a pain in the ass, stud. It is. I’m not denying that.” She sighed, looking him in the eyes. “But you are worth it. None of them will ever know you, but I do. And I’m so, so lucky.”

“I do love you, Bella Swan.”

She smiled at him. “I know. Just promise me you won’t go jumping up and down on any couches in my name.”

He pulled her tighter against him, tilting his head to catch her kiss. It was another minute before he could convince himself to let her go. 

His hair was well and truly mussed after that.

~0~

The interview was a tell-all of sorts--the kind of interview he never granted. It had been a long time coming, though. For months, the speculation about what had happened and why raged out of control. There were too many factors. The public still thought he’d been with Gianna, but then it was Bella who was hurt, Bella he was rumored to be spending all his time with, Bella who he was rumored to have had an affair with while on set. Arguments raged on over the internet, and though fans condemned Alice for going too far, some were beginning to agree Bella deserved some kind of punishment. Whether she was a whore who’d taken Edward from Gianna or she was an attention seeker, her name was usually mud as far as the tabs and the fans went.

It didn’t end with Bella, either. There were all sorts of rumors and conjecture flying. No one was safe--Gianna, Bella, Edward, even Emmett and his crew. The situation had all been too titillating, and the public wasn’t letting it go. Now, as they began promotion for the movie that had brought them all together, the studio had been up Edward’s ass to give just one interview. They kept saying it was the responsible thing to do to make sure blame was laid squarely at Alice’s and no one else’s feet. Edward knew better. The more media coverage they received--good or bad--the better the movie would do. 

Edward agreed to the interview for Bella’s sake, to redirect reporters who were digging up the dirt of her old relationships. He wanted peace for Emmett and Jasper, too. He knew better than to think he was going to get anything he wanted, but he could try nonetheless.

So he sat down with his Bella-mussed hair across from an interviewer, famous in her own right, and he talked.

“You’ve spoken to Alice Brandon since the incident,” the interviewer prompted after a few general niceties.

Edward gritted his teeth. Alice was remanded into the custody of a psychiatric ward for observation. She had already pled guilty to a number of lesser charges to escape being brought in for attempted murder. It was, Edward’s lawyers assured him, the best he could hope for. Bella’s injury was self-sustained, after all.

“Did she give you a reason for what she did? For coming after Gigi and then Isabella?” the interviewer asked.

“She did.” Edward sat forward in his chair. “Ms. Brandon thought she could see the future. Specifically, she thought she knew my future. Gianna and Bella’s involvement in my life didn’t fit with her vision. She felt that they were messing with my future deliberately.”

He couldn’t say much more than that. Benjamin and his lawyers had coached him repeatedly on that fact. 

The interviewer moved on to more important subjects. “So, let’s talk about your love life.”

In spite of himself, Edward smiled. 

The interviewer knew she had him then. “Ah, so there is something to talk about. Is it safe to assume the rumors are true, then? You won’t be appearing on any most eligible bachelor lists this year.”

Edward smirked. “I suppose that depends. I don’t know. I could do something between now and then that will make her come to her senses and leave me.”

“And the her in question is indeed Miss Isabella Swan, former stunt person?”

He winced. “Knowing Bella, she’s going to be back at work before you know it,” Edward said, his tone dry. The idea of her going back to work as she so desperately wanted to terrified him. “But yes, I am in a relationship with Miss Swan.”

“You had a very public relationship with Gigi--”

“Actually, I didn’t. I think you’ll find if you look closely at those pictures you’re talking about, you’ll see that it was always Bella I was with.” It gave him a vindictive kind of pleasure to see the shock register on the interviewer’s face. It was rare he could throw them off their game. “She was Gianna’s stunt double at the time, after all. Gianna and I met shortly before filming began. We’re friends. We remain friends, but there’s never been anything more between us than that. I’m sure she’d confirm that for you herself.”

Edward tip-toed his way around the too-personal questions she shot at him. He had practice at being pragmatic with his answers, no matter how much the questions chafed.

There was one question, though, he couldn’t leave unanswered.

“What do you say to your fans who think you can do so much better than Isabella?”

Edward clenched his hands in fists on his lap. He was hard pressed to keep anger off his face. It took a few moments for him to stop gritting his teeth. Then, he remembered what Bella said, and he had his answer. “They don’t know her. What’s more, they don’t know me.

“If I have anything to say, not just to my fans but to anyone who consumes the lives of people in the public eye, it’s that none of this is real.” He leaned forward, his hands stretched out as he spoke to the woman. “Even my most, er, dedicated fan, the one who’s seen every single interview I’ve ever given, has perhaps three or four hours of my personal thoughts. Mind you, those are highly specific, often heavily groomed thoughts. Between me and my fans are usually a team of publicists, representatives of the studio, and things I’m contractually forbidden to say. Then, there’s the way the media outlet chooses to edit the interview. This isn’t a live interview. Every camera angle, every minute of screentime will be specifically chosen by a team of your people whose interest is not to make sure they preserve my thoughts, but whatever is going to get them higher ratings.” He offered the woman a smile. “No offense meant. That’s the simple truth.”

Before the woman--who was looking slightly disgruntled--could object, he continued on. “And all of that isn’t taking into consideration that I, like every other human being on the planet, don’t always have the right words when I’m put on the spot. So, in short, I don’t think it’s possible that any of my fans know me. You’ve seen me at work; this is part of my job. That’s all. I might be the biggest prick in the world behind closed doors. You have no way of knowing that. So why believe I could do so much better than Bella? If you want my opinion on my own life, I’m the lucky one. Simple as that.”

~0~

A couple of weeks later, Edward and Bella made their first public appearance at the premiere of their movie. Bella was spectacular. Her gorgeous dress outshone Gianna’s easily, in Edward’s opinion. Her smile was tight as the bulbs flashed, and people shouted questions at her. It was only a minute or so before they had to part. Edward gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and watched a long moment as she was ushered inside the theater. He, of course, had to face the media. 

It was a whirlwind night. The movie was better than he expected, but he was in a good mood. Having Bella at his side, whispering things in his ear did wonders to enhance his viewing pleasure.

They put in an appearance at the after party, but didn’t stay long. A couple of glasses of wine later, and they were hard pressed to keep their hands off each other.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Edward asked, ducking his head to whisper in Bella’s ear.

“Oh, hell yes.”

Hand in hand, they exited the venue, ducking into the waiting car. “My place?”

Her hand was on his inner thigh, rubbing. “My place is closer.”

“Bella’s place,” he called to Jasper, who was driving them.

“You got it, boss,” Jasper said, and pointedly put the window between them up.

Tipsy Bella was a force to be reckoned with. She was handsy and giddy and more than willing to manhandle him. She pulled him out of the car, waved at Jasper, and all but dragged him inside, laughing the entire time as she related some of the more obnoxious questions that had been hurled at her.

“I bet I know how I landed a catch like you, Edward.” She shoved him up against the wall, her mouth on his between sentences. “It’s because I’m flexible, isn’t it?”

“The flexibility helped,” Edward said. He cupped her ass in both his palms, returning her fervent kisses. “Then there’s this sweet ass of yours, and the bitchin’ bod.”

She grunted, displeased. It was a sore topic. Her body wasn’t yet back to where she had been before the accident. She’d lost most of her musculature as she recouped and was only starting to build it again. She didn’t let it bring the mood down. “Plus there’s always the fact I’m young and nubile enough that the whole world knows you’ve still got it, even though you’re advancing in years.”

Now it was his turn to grunt. He ran his hands up her back as he kissed her and found the zipper of her dress. “Well, I’m not Harrison Ford, but--” He cut off as her dress puddled on the floor. “Fuck me. What the hell is this?”

Her eyes were light and dark at once--satisfaction mixed with desire. She stepped back, out of her dress and her shoes so he could admire her in full. She was coordinated-- black stockings and a garter belt with matching bra and panties. He ran his finger over the tiny satin bow where the garter was connected with the stockings. 

“Oh, I like that look.” Bella’s hands were in his hair as he bent to kiss along her exposed cleavage. “That look was well worth the hours I spent in this crap tonight.”

He pressed his tongue against her nipple through the fabric, delighting in her gasp and the way she tugged at his hair. He kissed a line up her neck and finally claimed her lips again. “It’s meant to be worn only long enough to take it off, genius.”

“Ah. See, with age comes wisdom.”

He snorted, grabbing her ass again, this time feeling flesh and silk beneath his palm. “Come, my delicate flower. Let’s see what you look like without your petals.”

With that, he swept her up into his arms. She kissed his neck as he all but ran up stairs. “Ah, you’re so distracting, Bella. You should be careful. You and I don’t have the best history with stairs.”

“That’s true.” She pulled back, her arms tightening around his neck. “Now that I think about it, I’m not sure I trust you not to drop me. How much can you press at the gym? Do you even go to the gym?” She widened her eyes in mock fear.

Edward sighed. “First she brings up my age, then she questions my strength. What next, Swan?”

By then, he had set her on the edge of her bed so she was looking up at him. “Oh, I think you’ll like what comes next,” she said. She cupped her hands around the backs of his knees, tickling him there.

Edward pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth to keep from groaning. He knew exactly what he wanted to happen, especially with her big brown eyes looking up at him like that. She knew what he was thinking too, because she darted her tongue out to lick her lips. 

“Do you know how sexy you are in a suit?” she asked, running her finger along the seam of his pant leg. “It’s unfair.”

She started to slide off the bed onto her knees, but he caught her. He brought her back up and, putting his hands to her waist, moved her further back on the bed. “Oh, no you don’t.” He climbed over her, trailing kisses from her belly up the center of her until he reached her lips. “What did I say about this, hmm?” He let his finger run along the edge of her bra. “It’s meant to be taken off. Quickly.” He leaned back a bit, letting his eyes rake over her form. “Well, maybe after a taste.” He lowered his mouth to take her nipple, still covered in cloth, between his teeth. “There’s something to savoring.” He licked down the same path he’d kissed before. “Just a little.”

His hands behind her knees, he pushed her legs back, spreading them wider in the process. He looked at her and grinned. “The flexibility is a plus,” he admitted but didn’t give her a chance to answer before he’d put his mouth over the silky cloth that covered her sex.

“Jesus Christ.” Her legs jerked straight up before she rested them on the bed, splayed wide. “This is, ah! This is not what’s meant by making a girl’s panties moist. Oh, fuck.”

He teased her through the fabric, one hand to her belly, keeping her pinned. 

“Edward, please.” Her fingers scratched along his shoulders.

Since she’d asked so nicely, he pulled aside the wet fabric and plunged his tongue inside her, thumbing her clit in circles. 

“The Academy has it wrong, ace,” she said, writhing under his ministrations. “Fuck acting. This is where your real talent shines.”

Edward sat back on his haunches and pulled her panties down her legs, leaving her stockings on. He crawled back over her, leaning down to peck her lips. “You’re saying I should have gone into porn?”

She grinned at him as she reached between his legs. She gave him a squeeze before she pulled his pants and underwear down. “Too late now, stud.” She wrapped her hand around his cock. “This is all mine now.”

He moaned and kissed her. “All yours,” he murmured into her mouth.

He backed up off the bed and stood. Grabbing her ankle, he pulled her so her ass rested on the edge of the bed, hitching her legs up around his waist. “I want to see you,” he said, running his hands up her body. He pushed her bra out of the way and palmed her breasts. “Do you know how fucking beautiful you are?”

She put her stockinged feet against his chest, staring up at him with love shining in her eyes. She bit her lip as he lined his cock up at her entrance and gasped when he pushed inside her. He groaned and leaned all the way over her, his forehead to hers. They shared a trio of quick kisses before he straightened and thrust into her.

He cupped her face and ran a thumb over her lips. She took his thumb into her mouth, flicking her tongue against him, her eyes on his. He loved the way she looked at him. He loved the bounce of her breasts as his pace quickened. He loved her soft moans and the feel of disappearing deep into slick, tight heat.

“I love you,” he said, picking her up long enough to move her back on the bed. He needed her wrapped around him now. His body crushed hers in the next heartbeat, his lips claiming her.

“I love you,” she panted back, pulling and tugging at the shirt he still had on. “Harder. More, Edward, please.” She threw her head back.

He rolled them so she was on top. She rocked her hips against his, the slap of skin against skin mingling with the sounds of their mutual pleasure.

She straightened up, one hand spread wide over his chest for balance as she rode him. She was glorious--her breasts taut and high, her head thrown back, her hair wild and her face flushed. 

Minutes later, he lay on his belly, spent and content not to move. His arm was draped across Bella’s midsection, rising and falling with each of her deep breaths.

As usual, Bella recovered first. She started to manhandle him again. He groaned in protest as she got him to his knees. “Oh, hush, you big baby,” she said, beginning to unbutton his shirt. “I’m trying to get you all the way naked.”

He gave her a few sleepy kisses as she worked, but let her get his shirt off. Then, he tackled her so she was on her back on the bed. “We have to work on your reflexes, Swan. I don’t know how you expect to get back to work if you’re so slow on the uptake.” As he spoke, he rolled her stockings down her legs and tossed them over his shoulder. 

She reached up, caressing his chin. “See, the thing is, I know how you actors are. I go easy on you so your fragile, superstar ego doesn’t bust.”

“Uh huh. I see.” He lowered himself down, his body on hers, supporting himself on his arms. “So let me tell you a Hollywood story.”

“Am I going to like it?”

“You tell me.” He kissed her forehead and between her eyes. “So some big shot actor walks into a young girl’s life and throws her down a set of stairs.”

“What an asshole.”

He kissed down the bridge of her nose. “I know, right? But it’s okay. She got to throw him down a set of stairs later, and his clumsy ass got injured.”

“Yikes.” She tilted her head up to catch his lips. “That’s too bad. It’s a nice ass.”

“How do you know? This is my story.”

“Sorry. Do continue.”

Edward nuzzled her neck. “Well, I won’t bore you with the details. But basically, this guy kind of destroyed this girl’s nice, private life.”

“Hmm.” Bella scratched her fingers through his hair. “Sounds like the guy has an overinflated sense of self-importance.The girl doesn’t sound like the type of woman who would let a man destroy her life for nothing.”

Edward raised his head, looking into her eyes. “No regrets.”

She kissed him. “No, superstar. Call me a romantic, but I don’t think I’m going to regret you.” She cocked her head, uncharacteristic uncertainty flashing briefly through her eyes. “But what about you, hmm? What happens when Hollywood royalty shacks up with a commoner?”

He fixed her with a solemn, serious look. “Magic.”

She burst out laughing. “Oh, Edward. I do love you.”

**~The End~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And so we wrap up another tale. I’m sorry if that surprises you. This fic had a tendency to not go the way I planned.
> 
> Many thanks to Songster, Femme Malheureuse, Packy 2.0, MyOnlyHeroin, Barburella, and JessyPT for all their help. Thank you Mina for my gorgeous banner and, of course, thanks to all of you who took this journey with me. I’m not sure it worked the way I wanted it to, but I’m fairly satisfied. I hope you are too. :)


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